Trump, Putin, and Xi to Meet at APEC Summit in Shenzhen, China

In a significant diplomatic development, United States President Donald Trump, Russian President Vladimir Putin, and Chinese President Xi Jinping are scheduled to meet during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Shenzhen, China. White House spokesperson Olivia Wales confirmed that the leaders would convene on the sidelines of the summit, which will take place next week.

According to Wales, discussions will primarily focus on nuclear weapons reduction, an area in which President Trump has expressed particular concern. "The president has made it clear that, among other topics, he will discuss the reduction of nuclear weapons in the world, whose proliferation President Trump believes is very dangerous," she remarked.

It is anticipated that the subject of Iran may arise during their discussions, although issues surrounding Ukraine are reportedly not on the agenda. Both Moscow and Beijing have yet to issue statements regarding the upcoming meeting.

An unnamed senior American official indicated that no agreements are expected to result from this high-profile dialogue. President Trump is slated to arrive in Shenzhen on Wednesday evening ahead of the two-day APEC summit, which includes representatives from 21 member states.

The meeting will mark the fourth occasion Trump has met with Xi since taking office again in 2025. Besides the trilateral discussion, Trump will engage in bilateral talks with Xi on Thursday.

Wales highlighted that this trip represents efforts to secure significant deals that would benefit American citizens and reinforce the country's interests in the Indo-Pacific region. Notably, the meeting comes in the wake of the expiration of a nuclear weapons control treaty between the US and Russia in February 2026, which has left the world's largest nuclear arsenals without critical oversight. This lapse has been the subject of concern, prompting the United Nations to urge both nations to establish a new framework without delay.

President Trump has expressed a willingness to negotiate a new deal that would include China, a nation that has been expanding its nuclear capabilities. However, former US officials and analysts caution that garnering cooperation from both Beijing and Moscow may present numerous challenges and could require extensive negotiations.

Earlier this year, Xi hosted both Trump and Putin in Beijing on separate occasions, and in September, Trump welcomed Xi to Washington. Chinese state media reported that Xi would participate in bilateral discussions during the APEC summit, but did not specifically acknowledge the planned trilateral meeting.

In a related statement from Russian state news agency Tass, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov noted that there were indications of readiness for the talks at the summit. The evolving context surrounding European security has also been framed as a strategic win by Moscow, indicating shifting priorities in international relations.