Trump Expects Trilateral Summit With Putin and Xi at APEC in Shenzhen
Donald Trump says he expects to meet Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping in Shenzhen on November 18-19 for talks on denuclearisation, Iran and the war in Ukraine.
Image: Wikimedia Commons / European Commission Audiovisual Service
WASHINGTON, Nov 9 — United States President Donald Trump said on Sunday that he expects to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping in a three-way summit on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation gathering in Shenzhen on November 18 and 19, with nuclear arms control, the war in Iran and the war in Ukraine on the agenda.
Trump told reporters in Florida that the meeting would cover several issues. "One of the meetings, I think, will be with President Putin and President Xi, and that'll be interesting," he said. "We'll talk a lot of things, including denuclearisation, but we'll be talking about a lot of things. We're trying to end the war in Iran." The White House has not yet issued a formal schedule for the trip.
Key Takeaways
- Trump said on Sunday he expects a trilateral meeting with Putin and Xi at the APEC summit in Shenzhen on November 18 and 19.
- China's Foreign Ministry said on Monday it was "in communication with relevant parties" over the proposed meeting.
- The Kremlin said on October 21 that a first-of-its-kind trilateral meeting was "being prepared".
- Trump and Xi are also due to hold bilateral talks next week, their third meeting this year.
What Beijing and Moscow have said
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said on Monday that China was "in communication with relevant parties" over a possible meeting between the three presidents. The Kremlin said on October 21 that a first-of-its-kind trilateral meeting was "being prepared", and a spokesperson for the Russian presidential office has said such a summit is possible.
APEC is a 21-member grouping that includes the United States and Russia, and China is hosting this year's leaders' summit.
Iran and Ukraine at the top of the agenda
Trump put the war in Iran first among the issues he named. The United States has been pressing for a ceasefire through intermediaries in the region, and Trump met Qatar's prime minister last week as part of that mediation effort. Foreign ministers from the Group of Seven nations discussed both Iran and Ukraine when they met in Paris.
The war in Ukraine is also expected to feature. United States-mediated talks between Russia and Ukraine open in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday, and a United States official said on Monday that both sides were showing some flexibility in private on a possible exchange of territory. United States envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner are leading the mediation.
Trade is the third strand. Trump and Xi are due to hold bilateral talks next week, their third meeting this year. The current trade truce between the two countries is set to expire in January, and China has extended its pause on 24% tariffs on United States goods for two more months.
| Detail | The trilateral summit |
|---|---|
| Event | Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation leaders' summit |
| Dates | November 18 and 19, 2026 |
| Venue | Shenzhen, China |
| Leaders | Donald Trump, Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping |
| Agenda | Denuclearisation, the war in Iran, the war in Ukraine |
| Status | Expected by Trump; not yet confirmed by Beijing or Moscow |
Frequently Asked Questions
When and where would the trilateral meeting take place?
Trump said he expects the meeting to happen on the sidelines of the APEC leaders' summit in Shenzhen, China, on November 18 and 19. The White House has not yet published a confirmed schedule for the trip.
What would the three leaders discuss?
Trump said the agenda would include denuclearisation and efforts to end the war in Iran, and he also pointed to the war in Ukraine. Trade is likely to feature too.
Has a meeting of the three leaders happened before?
No formal trilateral meeting of the three leaders has taken place. The Kremlin said on October 21 that a first-of-its-kind meeting was being prepared, and a spokesperson for the Russian presidential office has said such a summit is possible.
What have China and Russia said about the proposal?
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said on Monday that Beijing was "in communication with relevant parties" over a possible meeting. The Kremlin said on October 21 that the meeting was being prepared and has not ruled it out.
The APEC leaders' summit opens in Shenzhen on November 18. The White House, the Kremlin and China's Foreign Ministry have not yet published a confirmed schedule for a three-way meeting.
