BEIJING — The director of the FBI and China’s top law enforcement official sat down together in the Chinese capital on Friday, pledging to build stronger ties between the two countries on policing and criminal matters, according to Beijing officials.
The meeting came shortly after both nations carried out two separate fugitive transfers — a notable development given that China and the United States do not have an extradition treaty in place.
During the talks, China’s Minister of Public Security Wang Xiaohong called on both sides to “engage in more constructive dialogue on the basis of mutual respect and deepen practical cooperation” against a wide range of criminal activity, according to an official Chinese summary of the meeting.
FBI Director Kash Patel posted a statement on X saying he welcomed the direct engagement with Chinese public security officials. He noted the meetings have already produced tangible results, including cutting off fentanyl precursor supply lines, expanding joint efforts targeting scam operations, addressing violent crimes against children, and building out a fugitive task force.
Just one day before the meeting, China’s Public Security Ministry announced it had turned over to U.S. law enforcement a fugitive wanted for serious violent crimes — including the suspected murder of a spouse and the sexual assault of a young girl.
The ministry noted that Chinese and U.S. law enforcement agencies have recently carried out “a series of practical cooperation in areas such as counter-narcotics, repatriation of illegal immigrants, fugitive recovery, combating telecom and cyber fraud, and anti-money laundering.”
Officials added that this cooperation aligns with an agreement reached between U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping.
Earlier in the week, the U.S. had sent back to Beijing a fugitive accused of kidnapping and killing Chinese citizens abroad, according to Chinese state media. Beijing described that transfer as “the latest achievement” in carrying out the two presidents’ shared commitment to cooperation.
FBI Director Patel had previously visited Beijing in November 2025 to discuss fentanyl and law enforcement concerns, following a summit between Trump and Xi in October of that year, during which the two leaders agreed to work together to combat fentanyl trafficking.
President Trump has said the two heads of state are scheduled to meet again in Washington in September.
