Trump, Xi and Putin could meet at APEC summit in China
Disagreements over the meeting format may result in separate bilateral talks instead of a trilateral summit.
A trilateral meeting between US President Donald Trump, Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin may take place during the 33rd Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Shenzhen. The summit is scheduled for November 18 and 19, according to reports from Moneycontrol and Firstpost.
While Washington and Moscow have indicated that preparations are underway, Beijing has only acknowledged that it is communicating with relevant parties. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning confirmed discussions are happening but provided no specific date or agenda. Neither Vladimir Putin's attendance nor the three-way meeting has been formally confirmed.
The primary obstacle involves the structure of the talks. The Wall Street Journal reported that the US and China are at an impasse, with Washington preferring an open exchange while Beijing wants to follow a pre-negotiated agenda and prepared statements. If an agreement is not reached, the leaders might hold separate bilateral meetings instead.
The idea for the meeting was raised by Vladimir Putin during a telephone call with Donald Trump on October 9. Trump expressed interest in the concept on October 19, noting that discussions could involve trade and denuclearisation. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov confirmed that arrangements for the possible meeting are being discussed.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated on Tuesday that efforts to organise the meeting are continuing. The APEC summit in Shenzhen will host leaders from 21 economies under the theme "Building an Asia-Pacific Community to Prosper Together".
