FBI cooperation with China and Russia is marking an unexpected shift in Washington’s approach to global law enforcement, as the agency seeks limited partnerships with two of America’s main strategic competitors to tackle transnational crimes.
For decades, the United States has treated China and Russia primarily as security rivals, accusing both countries of activities including cyber espionage, election interference and intellectual property theft. Cooperation between the FBI and their law enforcement agencies remained extremely limited, with counterintelligence concerns dominating relations.
The new approach focuses on specific criminal threats, including fentanyl trafficking, cyber fraud, child sexual exploitation and international fugitive networks.
A new approach under the Trump administration
Since returning to office, President Donald Trump has promoted a more transactional foreign policy approach, arguing that countries can cooperate where their interests overlap while continuing to compete in other areas.
FBI Director Kash Patel’s strategy reflects this view by separating criminal investigations from wider geopolitical disputes.
The FBI has created working groups focused on specific areas of international crime rather than treating China and Russia solely as adversaries. Patel has said the cooperation does not extend to intelligence sharing or military issues and is limited to areas that directly benefit US security.
Joint operations target global crime networks
The cooperation has already moved beyond discussions, with FBI officials citing intelligence exchanges, investigator meetings, personnel exchanges, coordinated arrests and joint operations.
The efforts target cyber scam networks, child exploitation groups, fentanyl precursor suppliers and international fugitives.
Patel recently travelled to Beijing following earlier discussions between US and Chinese officials. Similar talks with Russian authorities are reportedly being considered later this year.
Operation Sand Dollar highlights cooperation
One of the most prominent examples of the new approach was Operation Sand Dollar, carried out by the FBI, China’s Ministry of Public Security and Dubai police.
According to the FBI, the operation led to around 300 arrests, the seizure of nearly $300 million, the disruption of a major cyber scam operation and the rescue of thousands of trafficked workers.
Patel has pointed to operations such as this as evidence that limited cooperation with strategic rivals can deliver security benefits when focused on shared criminal threats.
Tackling fentanyl trafficking
Another key goal is reducing the supply of fentanyl entering the United States.
Washington has long accused Chinese companies of supplying precursor chemicals used by Mexican drug cartels to produce fentanyl. The FBI has sought direct cooperation with Chinese authorities to identify suppliers, close production sites and disrupt trafficking networks.
US officials say the cooperation has contributed to arrests connected to precursor chemical production, factory closures and chemical seizures.
Experts note, however, that changes in overdose rates are also influenced by factors including access to treatment and shifts in drug markets.
Critics warn of security risks
The policy has faced criticism from former intelligence and counterintelligence officials, who argue that China and Russia remain major strategic threats.
Critics question whether operational cooperation can truly be separated from broader intelligence competition, warning that engagement with foreign officials could create opportunities for intelligence gathering or influence operations.
They have also raised concerns that information shared during investigations could eventually be used to support the strategic interests of Beijing or Moscow.
Patel defends safeguards
Patel has rejected those concerns, saying foreign officials involved in cooperation undergo extensive vetting and remain subject to strict counterintelligence safeguards.
He has stressed that the partnerships are limited to criminal investigations and do not affect traditional US intelligence alliances, including the Five Eyes partnership with Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand.
According to Patel, refusing cooperation solely because countries are geopolitical rivals would make it harder to combat increasingly international criminal networks.
Balancing cooperation and competition
The FBI’s evolving partnerships with China and Russia reflect a wider shift in US foreign policy, where strategic competition is increasingly combined with selective cooperation.
Cybercrime, organised crime, drug trafficking and exploitation networks operate across borders, making international coordination a key part of law enforcement efforts.
The success of the strategy will depend on whether the FBI can maintain clear boundaries between criminal cooperation and national security concerns. If safeguards remain effective, the approach could become a model for addressing global crime amid geopolitical rivalry. If not, it could expose the United States to additional security risks.
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