China confirms talks on historic Xi-Trump-Putin meeting at APEC summit

China has confirmed that it is discussing a possible meeting between Chinese President Xi Jinping, US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) leaders' summit in Shenzhen this month. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said at a press briefing in Beijing that China was "in communication with relevant parties regarding a meeting between the three heads of state". No final decision has been announced on whether the meeting will take place. If confirmed, it would bring together the leaders of three major global powers at a time of mounting geopolitical tensions.

However, experts have cautioned that their conflicting interests could limit the scope for substantive discussions, with Beijing potentially more interested in the diplomatic optics of the gathering. "I think it will happen. The question is the format and the content," said Sun Yun, director of the China programme at the Stimson Centre. "China wants the image but not the costs." China is hosting this year's APEC leaders' summit, a grouping of 21 economies that includes the United States and Russia. Trump, Xi expected to discuss trade Trump is expected to travel to Shenzhen to meet Xi for the third time this year, as the two countries seek to maintain a fragile trade truce that is due to expire in January.

However, tensions over trade remain unresolved. On Friday, US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer held a video call with Chinese Vice-Premier He Lifeng, urging Beijing to take concrete steps to fulfil its earlier commitments, particularly on agricultural purchases, rare earths and other critical minerals, according to a statement from Greer's office. China's state news agency Xinhua reported on Saturday that the two sides had held in-depth and constructive exchanges during the conversation. It added that Beijing had raised concerns over Washington's restrictive economic and trade measures against China.

Trump has also expressed interest in meeting Xi and Putin to discuss nuclear arms control. However, the proposed gathering could face difficulties over Russia's war in Ukraine. Moscow has sought negotiations that exclude Ukraine from the table, a position that could complicate any substantive discussion among the three leaders. Putin could gain most from trilateral meeting Putin could benefit significantly from appearing alongside the US and Chinese presidents, potentially enhancing his diplomatic standing at a time when Russia remains embroiled in the Ukraine war. "Putin has the most to gain from a leaders' trilateral, and the Russians are clearly behind the push for a meeting, which would be a diplomatic coup," said Danny Russel, a former senior US State Department official who served under former President Barack Obama.

Russel, now a distinguished fellow at the Asia Society Policy Institute, said Trump would also welcome the opportunity to meet the two leaders. However, he suggested that the US president's advisers may have cautioned him against allowing Ukraine to dominate the discussions. Sun said Moscow could use the gathering to push Washington and Beijing closer to its position on Ukraine, leaving China with the challenge of managing Russian diplomatic pressure. She added that Beijing was unlikely to engage in substantive discussions on arms control or conflicts involving Ukraine and Iran. Sun said China would likely reiterate its position that peace was important and wars should end.

Sun also cautioned that Beijing would want to avoid the perception that the meeting represented an attempt by three major powers to divide the world among themselves. Craig Singleton, senior director of the China programme at the Foundation for Defence of Democracies, said the proposed meeting could amount to little more than a photo opportunity that would allow Putin to be seen alongside the US and Chinese presidents. "But these photo opportunities have diminishing diplomatic returns," Singleton said. "The spectacle may be historic without producing anything particularly consequential."