China confirms discussions underway on historic Xi-Trump-Putin meeting

Beijing has officially confirmed that discussions are underway for an unprecedented meeting involving Chinese President Xi Jinping, U.S. President Donald Trump, and Russian President Vladimir Putin. Mao Ning, a spokesperson for China's foreign ministry, made this announcement during a press briefing in Beijing this week. According to the spokesperson, China is in communication with the respective parties regarding the potential gathering of the three heads of state.

While no details have been finalized, the meeting is expected to take place this month during a regional summit in Shenzhen, a southern Chinese city. The potential meeting would be historic, given the complex relationships among the three leaders. Despite this, experts believe that the leaders are unlikely to discuss any substantive issues due to their conflicting interests. Instead, the meeting would primarily serve as a symbolic gesture, with China meticulously planning the event.

Sun Yun, director of the China program at the Stimson Center, expressed his belief that the meeting will occur, but emphasized the importance of the format and content. He stated that China seeks the image of the three leaders coming together, but is unwilling to bear the associated costs. China is currently hosting the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation leaders summit, a 21-member group.