- Trump indicated on November 8, 2026, that he would likely meet Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin in Shenzhen next week, discussing the Russia-Ukraine war, the Iran issue, and nuclear arms control.
- China's Foreign Ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun confirmed on November 9, 2026, that Beijing is in communication with relevant parties regarding the meeting, not ruling out the possibility.
- Trump and Xi are scheduled to meet bilaterally next week, marking their third meeting this year, with another meeting planned at the G20 in Miami at the end of the year.
- The APEC summit is set to take place on November 18 and 19 in southern China.
- China has expressed a preference for multilateralism over a U.S.-China-Russia triumvirate, yet a meeting would still be significant in managing global competition.
- Russia is reportedly the most enthusiastic among the three nations regarding the potential meeting, with analysts suggesting an informal exchange is more likely than a formal summit.
President Donald Trump indicated that a trilateral meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin could occur next week in Shenzhen, coinciding with the APEC summit on November 18-19.1346
China’s Foreign Ministry confirmed it is “in communication with relevant parties” regarding the meeting, although specific agenda items remain unclear.25
Trump suggested discussions may include the Russia-Ukraine war, Iran, and nuclear arms control. He stated, “One of the meetings will be with President Putin and President Xi, and that’ll be interesting. We’re talking a lot of things, including denuclearisation.”
This meeting would mark the third bilateral encounter between Trump and Xi this year, following previous meetings in Beijing and a planned G20 summit in Miami.
Despite the potential for a trilateral summit, analysts caution that differing priorities among the three nations may limit its significance.
“On the one hand, there is substantial political resistance in the U.S. Anti-Russia sentiment remains strong,” noted Su Liuqiang, a scholar at the Shanghai Institutes for International Studies.
He added that while China prefers “multilateralism”, a meeting could still signal a desire to manage competition among major powers and prevent escalation of tensions.
“The possible trilateral meeting is tied to the APEC summit on November 18-19, with Trump and Xi also set for a bilateral meeting and later a G20 session in Miami. Analysts downplay its significance, noting Russia's keen interest but differing priorities among the three nations.”
