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A potential meeting between the leaders of Russia, China, and the United States at the upcoming Apec summit in Shenzhen draws attention from analysts. Moscow’s National Day congratulations to Beijing on Thursday sparked speculation about a possible trilateral summit. Russian President Vladimir Putin stated that his meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping at the Apec forum would be “productive” and strengthen the partnership between the two nations.

US President Donald Trump is also expected to attend the forum, marking Putin’s first meeting with Trump since 2017. A meeting between the three leaders was previously discussed at a Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit. Analysts believe the possibility of a trilateral meeting remains high, with Liu Xu from Renmin University stating that different occasions would create different expectations for outcomes.

For Putin, a meeting with Trump and Xi would symbolize Russia's continued significance in international affairs despite the war in Ukraine and Western sanctions. However, Tsinghua University’s Sun Chenghao cautioned that while the leaders may attend the same summit, a formal trilateral meeting is not guaranteed. Sun suggested that informal talks might take place instead.

China, as host, could play a role in facilitating communication among the leaders, but a clearly defined agenda would be essential for a successful trilateral meeting. Beijing may benefit from such a meeting by establishing another channel for managing relations with both Washington and Moscow, according to analysts. Liu Xu noted that China had not sought to publicly mediate between Russia and Ukraine but called for a political settlement.

A trilateral meeting, he added, would demonstrate China’s willingness to play a significant role in promoting dialogue and stability among major powers. US President Trump also invited Putin to attend the Group of 20 summit in Miami in December, though Kremlin sources suggested the likelihood of Putin's attendance was slim.