Trump, Putin and Xi Jinping Set for Historic Trilateral Meeting in China
US President Donald Trump, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping are expected to meet next week on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Shenzhen, China, the White House has announced.
The meeting will bring together the leaders of the world’s three major nuclear powers at a time of growing international tensions.
White House spokeswoman Olivia Wales said Trump would discuss several important issues, including reducing nuclear weapons worldwide. She added that Trump considers the spread of nuclear weapons a serious threat.
The situation in Iran may also be discussed during the meeting, although Ukraine is not expected to be on the agenda. However, no formal agreement is expected to emerge from the talks, according to a senior US official.
Trump is scheduled to arrive in Shenzhen on Wednesday for the two-day APEC summit. He will also hold separate bilateral talks with Xi Jinping on Thursday. The trilateral meeting with Putin and Xi will take place before he concludes his visit to China.
The proposed meeting comes at an important time for global nuclear security. A major nuclear arms control treaty between the United States and Russia expired in February, leaving the world’s two largest nuclear arsenals without a major agreement to limit their weapons.
The United Nations has urged both countries to establish a new framework without delay. Trump has previously suggested that a new agreement should also include China, which has been expanding its nuclear weapons programme.
However, bringing China into a nuclear arms control agreement could prove difficult and may take years of negotiations.
Meanwhile, China has strengthened its economic ties with Russia since the start of the Ukraine war in 2022. Beijing has become an important trading partner for Moscow despite Western sanctions.
Trump and Xi have also held several meetings this year, but major differences remain over trade, artificial intelligence and Taiwan.
The upcoming trilateral talks are therefore being closely watched, as they could provide an important opportunity for the three major powers to discuss nuclear security and other global issues.
