Beijing, China - In a move the White House called a "valuable step forward," Chinese authorities are set to launch a wide-ranging crackdown on the chemicals used in the manufacturing of fentanyl.

The announcement follows a meeting last week which saw the newly-formed anti-fentanyl working group discuss how the US and China can strengthen their cooperation in battling the devastating global fentanyl trade.

Chinese authorities will subject three of the chemicals essential in the manufacturing of fentanyl to extensive regulation and control.

"The People’s Republic of China (PRC) announced that they will begin scheduling three essential precursor chemicals used to manufacture illicit fentanyl, thereby subjecting these chemicals to additional regulation and control," the White House said in a statement.

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Beijing's Ministry of Public Security confirmed that it will impose controls on the production and distribution of 4-AP, 1-box-4-AP, and Norfentanyl, according to the AFP. The ban will come into effect on September 1.

Actions taken by Beijing are one of the first concrete steps to come out of the so-called anti-fentanyl working group, an initiative agreed on and launched by President Joe Biden and his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, late last year.

The CDC revealed that in 2023 almost 75,000 people died in the US due to complications around the use of fentanyl, making it the leading cause of death for Americans between the ages of 18 and 45.

"The PRC’s announcement today that it will domestically control three chemicals used to manufacture illicit fentanyl is a positive step," US ambassador to China Nicholas Burns said in a post on X. "We hope for further progress in the fight against fentanyl."