Trump, Putin, Xi Jinping to meet in first trilateral of its kind

On Friday, the White House announced that US President Donald Trump will meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping in Shenzhen, China, next week. This trilateral meeting is set to take place on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit, scheduled for 18-19 November. The White House spokesperson, Olivia Wales, confirmed that Trump plans to discuss the reduction of nuclear weapons during the meeting, stating that such proliferation poses a significant threat.

It is reported that Trump will also discuss the Iran war but exclude Ukraine, as per US officials. Washington is engaged in separate negotiations with both Kyiv and Moscow to end the war in Ukraine, though this track does not involve China. Moscow and Beijing have not yet commented on the reported meeting. Trump is also set to hold bilateral talks with Xi in Shenzhen.

The president is departing for the Philippines on Monday to attend a meeting of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations before heading to Shenzhen. The 2026 APEC Economic Leaders Meeting will bring together leaders from 21 member economies, focusing on issues such as artificial intelligence, trade tensions, and economic growth.

A spokesperson for China's foreign ministry, Mao Ning, expressed China's enthusiasm for the event and its desire to achieve practical results in areas like AI, trade, connectivity, and the digital economy.