Donald Trump, Vladimir Putin, and Xi Jinping plan to meet late next week on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Shenzhen, the White House announced on Friday.
US President Donald Trump will arrive in the southern Chinese tech hub late on Wednesday for the two-day gathering of 21 member states, BBC News reported.
The gathering marks an unprecedented three-way sit-down between the heads of the world’s largest nuclear powers. While the meeting carries heavy symbolism, expectations remain low for major breakthroughs, according to CityNews Calgary. Officials from Washington downplayed the prospect of striking a new arms pact immediately, characterizing the talks as an initial entry point for future discussions.
Nuclear non-proliferation will dominate the agenda as Trump pushes for a reduction in global atomic arsenals.
A bilateral nuclear weapons control treaty between the US and Russia expired in February, leaving the world’s largest stockpiles without major guardrails. China has been rapidly expanding its nuclear arsenal, though its estimated stockpile of more than 600 warheads remains far smaller than the inventories held by Washington and Moscow, which exceed 5,000 warheads each, CityNews Calgary reported.
“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,” Olivia Wales told BBC News.
Trump Seeks Broader Nuclear Framework Involving Beijing
The trilateral agenda includes discussions on Iran, though Ukraine will not be formally on the table. The US last nuclear arms agreement with Russia lapsed earlier this year, and Trump has signaled a desire to forge a broader framework that includes Beijing. Analysts note that drawing China into nuclear talks presents hurdles because China has shown little interest in developing a nuclear pact due to its stockpile being far smaller than inventories held by the U.S. and Russia. Relations among the three superpowers remain complicated.
Beijing serves as Moscow’s top trading partner, a bond that deepened after Russia sent troops into Ukraine in 2022. Western nations sought to isolate Moscow economically, but China increased its purchases of Russian energy and supplied vital high-tech components for industrial and military use, CityNews Calgary reported.
DW.com said that a joint appearance with Putin and Trump could complicate Beijing’s efforts to portray itself as a defender of multilateralism and free trade during the APEC summit. “Even if the meeting only yields a photo opportunity, it could nevertheless severely erode China’s image,” said Aurelia Bachulska, an analyst cited by DW.com.
“China is more interested in reforming global governance in ways that reflect its preferences and red lines while preserving a collegial appearance,” Aurelio Insisa, senior analyst at the Berlin-based Mercator Institute for China Studies (MERICS), told DW.
“You sort of run counter to Chinese support of multilateralism,” Hoo Tiang Boon, a professor of Chinese foreign policy at Nanyang Technological University, said.
Bilateral Talks in Shenzhen
Trump will conclude his visit to China with the trilateral session after participating in bilateral talks with Xi on Thursday. That encounter marks their fourth meeting since Trump returned to the White House in 2025. Trump also plans to attend an Association of Southeast Asian Nations summit in the Philippines on Tuesday.
Beijing has not officially confirmed the trilateral format, though a Chinese Foreign Ministry official told reporters that Beijing remained in communication with relevant parties, according to DW.com.
In Moscow, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov indicated earlier this month that signals confirmed readiness for such discussions at the summit, BBC News reported. Elon Musk is expected to accompany Trump on the trip, although he is not scheduled to participate in the closed trilateral talks, CNN reported.
“President Trump will conclude his visit to China with a trilateral meeting between the president of the United States, the president of the People’s Republic of China, and the president of the Russian Federation,” Wales told BBC News.
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