Trump Expects Xi, Putin Meeting at APEC Summit in China

Donald Trump says he expects to meet Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin together at the APEC summit in Shenzhen next week, to discuss nuclear arms control and the war in Iran. Beijing and Moscow have not confirmed a meeting.

Flat illustration of three stylised flags in deep navy, red and gold above a skyline of the Shenzhen tech hub, with a dove and an olive branch, in navy and gold tones — Illustration: WHAT TODAY?

United States President Donald Trump said on Sunday that he expects to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin together at next week’s APEC summit in China, in what would be the first three-way meeting of the three leaders.

Speaking to reporters in Florida before flying back to Washington, Trump said the talks would cover nuclear arms control and efforts to end the war in Iran. The Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit is set for November 18 and 19 in Shenzhen, the southern Chinese technology hub.

“One of the meetings, I think, will be with President Putin and President Xi, and that’ll be interesting,” Trump said. “We’re talking a lot of things, including denuclearization, but we’ll be talking a lot of things. We’re trying to end the war in Iran.”

Beijing and Moscow respond cautiously

Neither Beijing nor Moscow has confirmed that a three-way meeting will take place. Asked about the remarks on Monday, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said China was “in communication with relevant parties” over a possible meeting, without ruling it out.

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said the three sides were exchanging views on the agenda for a possible meeting, and the Kremlin said on October 21 that preparations were under way for a first-of-its-kind trilateral meeting.

The caution matters: Trump is expressing an expectation, not a confirmed plan, and no jointly agreed time or agenda has been announced.

A crowded agenda

The possible meeting would have a crowded agenda. Trump said in October that he was open to three-way arms control talks with Xi and Putin, focused on denuclearisation. The three hold the world’s largest nuclear arsenals, and a joint discussion on limiting them would be a first.

The Wall Street Journal has reported that Putin has pitched using a trilateral meeting to discuss an end to Russia’s war in Ukraine. Trump has also said he believes a deal to end that war is close.

Trump and Xi are also due to meet bilaterally, for the third time this year.

Why it matters

The three leaders have met in pairs, but never all three together, and their countries stand on opposing sides of the two largest conflicts now under way: the wars in Ukraine and Iran.

For Washington, it tests whether personal diplomacy can move three files at once: nuclear arms, Ukraine and Iran. For Beijing, hosting puts China at the centre of the week’s diplomacy. For Moscow, a seat at the table would signal that Russia remains a central player in any settlement.

The risks are clear: a meeting announced before it is agreed can collapse in public, and experts caution that a single sitting is unlikely to produce substantive agreements.

What happens next

The first test is confirmation: watch for statements from Beijing and Moscow, and for a time and venue inside the summit schedule.

If it goes ahead, the agenda will show which issue dominates: arms control, where all three have an interest in talking, or the two wars, where they are far apart.

APEC, founded in 1989, has 21 member economies, including China, Russia and the United States.

Frequently asked questions

Has the Trump-Xi-Putin meeting been confirmed?

No. Trump said he expects it to happen, Beijing said it is in communication with the relevant parties, and the Kremlin said the three sides are discussing an agenda. No time has been agreed.

What would the three leaders discuss?

According to Trump, nuclear arms control and ending the war in Iran. The Wall Street Journal has reported that Putin has proposed using the meeting to discuss ending Russia’s war in Ukraine.