US President Donald Trump announced that he and Chinese President Xi Jinping will hold bilateral meetings in November and December, following a state visit to Washington by the Chinese leader. Trump shared via social media that the two heads of state will meet in China in November, followed by another gathering at the G20 summit in Miami, Florida, in December.
Diplomatic Engagements in Washington and Upcoming Summits
During a tea ceremony at the White House, President Xi outlined two upcoming opportunities for high-level talks, pointing to the Apec economic summit hosted by China and the G20 summit hosted by the United States. Xi formally invited the US president and his wife to visit China during their discussions in Washington.
President Xi arrived in Washington for a three-day state visit focusing on international conflicts, including the situation in the Middle East and the war in Ukraine. Trade relations between the world’s two largest economies also featured prominently on the diplomatic agenda. The meetings follow a visit by Trump to Beijing in May.
Potential Trilateral Talks at Apec
China is hosting the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in the southern tech hub of Shenzhen in mid-November. Russian President Vladimir Putin has also announced plans to attend the Apec gathering, prompting diplomatic speculation regarding a potential trilateral meeting between Xi, Trump, and Putin, though officials have not formally confirmed such a format.
Last year, Trump and Xi utilized the Apec summit in South Korea for bilateral discussions. Rather than meeting in the official host city of Gyeongju, the leaders conferred in the nearby city of Busan, where they reached a temporary truce in their ongoing trade disputes, commonly referred to as the Busan agreement.
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