Washington (TDI): US President Donald Trump will meet Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin in China’s Shenzhen next week for trilateral talks on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit, the White House said Friday.
The discussions are expected to focus on reducing nuclear weapons globally, alongside other international security issues, as Washington seeks to engage Beijing and Moscow on nuclear proliferation.
White House Assistant Press Secretary Olivia Wales told reporters that Trump intended to discuss nuclear weapons reduction, describing their proliferation as a serious global threat.
Trump will first hold a bilateral meeting and working lunch with Xi on Thursday afternoon before concluding his China visit with the trilateral meeting involving Putin.
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However, a senior US official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Washington did not expect any agreement to emerge from the discussions, Anadolu Agency reported.
The official described the meeting as an initial engagement and the first leader-level conversation of its kind among the three countries.
The US official also expressed concern over China’s expanding nuclear arsenal, claiming that it was growing faster than any other country’s and urging Beijing to assume a greater role in global nuclear arms discussions.
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Trump is also expected to raise the issue of Iran during the trilateral meeting, while Ukraine is not on the planned agenda, according to the official. Washington considers the Ukraine issue part of a separate US-Russia diplomatic track in which China is not involved.
Trump will depart Washington on Monday for Manila, where he is scheduled to participate in a Quad leaders’ meeting and the US-Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Special Summit.
During his Philippines visit, Trump will also sign a trade agreement with Thailand and attend an official welcome ceremony hosted by Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.
He will travel to Shenzhen on Wednesday to participate in the APEC-related engagements before holding talks with Xi the following day.
