Trump signals possible meeting with Putin and Xi at China’s APEC summit
Trump signals possible meeting with Putin and Xi. (Image courtesy: Wikimedia)
New Delhi: The United States president, Donald Trump, has said he expects to meet the Russian president, Vladimir Putin, and the president of China, Xi Jinping, during his upcoming visit to China for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit on November 18-19. The proposed talks could address the war in Iran, nuclear disarmament and other major international issues.
Speaking to reporters before returning to Washington from Florida on Sunday, Trump said a meeting with both leaders was likely to take place during the summit in Shenzhen. He indicated that ending the war in Iran and discussing denuclearization would be among the key subjects.
The remarks come days after China confirmed that it was discussing the possibility of a meeting involving all three leaders. The Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman, Mao Ning, said on Wednesday that Beijing was in contact with the countries concerned to explore the arrangement.
The possibility of a meeting comes amid renewed engagement between Trump and Putin, particularly over energy supplies and sanctions.
On October 9, Trump announced an arrangement involving Russian diesel supplies to the US and international markets, alongside temporary relief from American sanctions on Russian diesel exports.
Washington took another step on October 16, when Trump waived key Russia-related sanctions and tariffs under the Lindsey O Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026. The decision came shortly before the measures were due to take effect, with the White House citing American national interests.
Alongside the proposed three-way meeting, Trump is expected to hold separate talks with Xi Jinping. Their discussions could focus on trade relations, Chinese purchases of American agricultural products and access to rare earth minerals, an area of growing importance to US industries.
Preparations for the meeting are already underway. The Chinese vice-premier, He Lifeng, held a video call on Friday with the United States treasury secretary, Scott Bessent, and the US trade representative, Jamieson Greer.
Discussions covered the implementation of agreements reached during previous meetings between Trump and Xi. Beijing also raised concerns about recent American trade restrictions, RNA Media earlier reported.
The 33rd APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting will be held in Shenzhen on November 18-19. The summit will bring together representatives from 21 economies, including the US, China, Russia, Japan and Australia.
This year’s theme is ‘Building an Asia-Pacific Community to Prosper Together’. Discussions are expected to cover trade, investment, technological innovation, digital transformation and regional supply chains.
