Trump, Putin and Xi Plan Trilateral Meeting in China

OPA WIRE, Nov 14 (OPA) — US President Donald Trump, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping are scheduled to hold a high-level trilateral meeting on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Co-operation summit in Shenzhen next week. White House spokeswoman Olivia Wales announced the upcoming gathering to reporters, stating that the talks will address the reduction of nuclear weapons and global proliferation risks. Trump will arrive in Shenzhen late on Wednesday for the two-day summit of 21 member states, preceding the trilateral format with a bilateral meeting with Xi on Thursday.

"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," Wales said. While Russia has confirmed the summit, Chinese state media has thus far only reported on scheduled bilateral talks. A senior US official noted that no formal agreements are expected to emerge from the discussions between the world's leading nuclear powers. The agenda is also understood to include discussions regarding Iran, though Ukraine will not be addressed.

The diplomatic push comes as bilateral arms control faces unprecedented strain following the expiration of the US-Russia nuclear weapons treaty in February, leaving major arsenals without regulatory frameworks. Trump has previously asserted an intent to forge a broader agreement encompassing China, whose nuclear stockpiles have seen continuous expansion. Analysts and former officials have cautioned that securing trilateral cooperation between Washington, Moscow, and Beijing presents substantial procedural hurdles that could take years to resolve.

Trump's itinerary also includes an Association of South-east Asian Nations summit in the Philippines on Tuesday before arriving in China. The diplomatic outreach follows a series of high-level engagements this year, including Xi's separate meetings with Putin and Trump in Beijing, alongside Trump hosting the Chinese counterpart in Washington in September. Despite these meetings, substantive breakthroughs on trade, regional security, and technological competition remain elusive as global powers navigate shifting geopolitical alignments.