Ehtisham Qudrat: The White House and the Kremlin have confirmed that US President Donald Trump, Chinese President Xi Jinping, and Russian President Vladimir Putin will hold their first-ever trilateral meeting on November 19, 2026, on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Shenzhen, China.
Summit Schedule & Logistics
China is hosting the 33rd APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting of the 21-nation bloc in Shenzhen from November 18 to November 19, 2026.
As reported by CBS News, White House spokeswoman Olivia Wales said that President Trump will arrive in Shenzhen late on Wednesday, November 18, and conclude his visit on Thursday, November 19, with the three-way meeting.
Moreover, ahead of the trilateral session, Trump is scheduled to hold a bilateral working lunch and meeting with Xi Jinping on Thursday, marking their fourth meeting since Trump returned to office.
However, prior to arriving in China, Trump will travel to the Philippines for an ASEAN summit. US officials noted that Elon Musk will accompany Trump to China, though he will not participate in the trilateral talks.
Expected Agenda & Key Topics
According to reports by CBS News and Al Jazeera, the White House officials said Trump will prioritize the discussions on global nuclear disarmament following the expiration of the US-Russia New START treaty in February 2026.
"The president has made it clear that, among other topics, he will discuss the reduction of nuclear weapons in the world. This proliferation, President Trump believes, is very dangerous," Wales said.
Washington hopes to initiate a modernized arms control framework that includes China, though Beijing, whose nuclear arsenal is significantly smaller than those of the US and Russia, has previously shown reluctance.
Senior US officials confirmed to CBS News and Al Jazeera that Trump intends to raise the ongoing US war with Iran during the talks.
US officials stated that Russia's war in Ukraine is not expected to be on the trilateral agenda, explaining that Washington is managing negotiations with Kyiv and Moscow on a separate diplomatic track that does not involve China.
“...he is not expected to discuss Russia's war in Ukraine,” officials said. Washington has a "whole other track" of negotiations with Kyiv and Moscow aimed at ending the war in Ukraine,” the official added.
A senior US official also told reporters that Washington will not negotiate American export controls on sensitive semiconductor technology during the visit.
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