White House: Trump to Meet Xi and Putin in Trilateral Talks During APEC Next Week

The White House says President Donald Trump will meet jointly with Chinese leader Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin next week during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Shenzhen, China. It would be the first-ever trilateral sit-down involving the three leaders.

Nuclear non-proliferation in focus

Officials say discussions will focus on nuclear non-proliferation. The United States and Russia face a new landscape following the expiration of their last remaining nuclear arms treaty earlier this year. Officials have downplayed expectations of reaching a new nuclear arms agreement during the meeting, but have suggested the discussions could serve as a starting point for future negotiations.

White House spokesperson Olivia Wales confirmed the plan to the BBC. Beijing, however, has not publicly confirmed the trilateral meeting, and Chinese officials have not commented on it.

APEC summit opens November 18

This year's APEC summit opens in Shenzhen on November 18. Trump and Xi are also expected to hold a bilateral meeting on the sidelines. The White House said arrangements for the trilateral meeting are still being coordinated, with the exact timing and format to be finalized.

(File photo: the Shenzhen skyline.)