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Trump, Putin and Xi to hold first three-way meeting at APEC in Shenzhen on 19 November
The White House says Trump, Putin and Xi are expected to meet on 19 November on the sidelines of the APEC summit in Shenzhen. Arms control and Iran lead the agenda, while Ukraine is not expected to feature.
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The presidents of the United States, Russia and China are expected to hold a three-way meeting in Shenzhen on Thursday 19 November, on the sidelines of the APEC summit, the White House has said. It would be the first time Donald Trump, Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping sit down together in this format.
China is hosting the 33rd APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting in Shenzhen, a high-tech city, on 18 and 19 November. The trilateral is meant to take place on the second day, alongside the main summit rather than as part of its formal programme.
The most pressing item for Washington is nuclear arms control. The New START treaty has expired, and the Trump administration wants a new agreement that covers both Russia and China, a goal reports describe as its primary objective for the session. Until now, the arms framework in question involved only Washington and Moscow.
Iran is the second major topic. The talks are expected to touch on the US-Israel campaign against Iran and its consequences for the region and for energy supplies. Financial commentary ahead of the summit has focused on what any movement on Iran or arms control could mean for oil and for markets.
Trade and technology form the backdrop. Washington and Beijing have spent recent years in disputes over tariffs and over competition in microchips and artificial intelligence, followed by truces. Trump and Xi have kept direct contact through that period, and they met in Washington earlier this year.
Ukraine not expected to feature
The war in Ukraine is unlikely to be a main subject. Reports say there are no plans to discuss it in the three-way format, and analysts regard it as peripheral to this session.
That leaves the setting as the main prize for some of the participants. Putin and Xi have met many times over the past decade and maintain close ties, so a Shenzhen encounter between them is not new. For the Russian president, though, a joint appearance with the American and Chinese leaders offers a high-profile stage for great-power diplomacy.
The meeting would also place Trump and Putin at the same table with Xi as host nation's leader, at a moment when US-China relations are still shaped by the trade truces that followed earlier tariff rounds.
The leaders are due in Shenzhen next week. The APEC summit opens on 18 November, and the trilateral is expected the following day. Whether it produces any announcement on a nuclear treaty, or on Iran, will only become clear once the leaders have met.
About the Author
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Prateek Rawat
Staff Writer
Prateek Rawat is a contributor to Wirony. All articles published under this byline undergo editorial review and approval before publication, with any necessary corrections handled…
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