---
title: "US Prepares Potential Trilateral Meeting Between Trump, Xi Jinping, and Putin on the Sidelines of APEC in Shenzhen"
description: "The US is preparing a potential trilateral meeting between Trump, Xi Jinping, and Putin on the sidelines of the APEC summit in Shenzhen on November 18–19. The format and agenda of the talks remain a subject of disagreement between Washington and Beijing."
date: 2026-11-12T02:11:18.141Z
lang: en
url: https://xab.info/en/posts/us-prepares-trilateral-meeting-trump-xi-putin
tags: [trump, putin, xi-jinping, apec-summit, china, russia, ukraine-war, denuclearization]
author: "Alexander Buran"
publisher: "XAB.info"
---

# US Prepares Potential Trilateral Meeting Between Trump, Xi Jinping, and Putin on the Sidelines of APEC in Shenzhen

![Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin walking together during an international summit](https://xab.info/media/2026/11/12/ssha-gotovyat-trehstoronnyu-vstrechu-trampa-si-i-putina-na-aps/ssha-gotovyat-trehstoronnyu-vstrechu-trampa-si-i-putina-na-aps-1.webp)

## Key Points

- US Secretary of State Marco Rubio discussed preparations for leader meetings on the sidelines of the APEC summit in Shenzhen (November 18–19) with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi.
- Washington points to the agreed importance of denuclearization and a potential trilateral format with Russia; Chinese agency Xinhua did not mention these topics in its report.
- According to the WSJ and SCMP, the parties differ on format (regulated summit versus informal conversation) and agenda priorities (AI nuclear risks versus the war in Ukraine).

Washington is actively preparing for high-level meetings on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit, scheduled for November 18–19 in Shenzhen, China. According to the US Department of State, the focus of diplomatic efforts is a potential trilateral meeting of the leaders of the US, China, and Russia, involving Donald Trump, Xi Jinping, and Vladimir Putin. The initiative is being discussed at the foreign ministerial level: Secretary of State Marco Rubio held talks with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, during which the parties reportedly agreed on the importance of leader-level contacts to advance peace and denuclearization.

### Diplomatic Intelligence in Beijing

During the conversation between Rubio and Wang Yi, according to the US agency, they discussed not only the US president's trip to the APEC summit but also Xi Jinping's planned December visit to Florida for the G20 summit. The State Department emphasizes that both sides acknowledged the value of head-of-state meetings as a tool to advance peace processes and denuclearization issues, including, in their phrasing, a possible trilateral format involving Russia. Rubio confirmed to journalists that the American side is working to organize such contacts on the sidelines of APEC.

### What the Parties Say

Public reactions from the two capitals to the exact same conversation noticeably differ. While Washington emphasizes denuclearization and the trilateral format, the Chinese news agency Xinhua described the talks as “positive and constructive,” without mentioning either the trilateral summit or denuclearization. Trump himself, in turn, stated that he believes he will meet with the leaders of China and Russia in Shenzhen to discuss ending the war with Iran and denuclearization issues. Thus, even in describing the goals of the upcoming contact, the parties formulate priorities differently.

### Format and Agenda: Zone of Disagreement

According to The Wall Street Journal, organizing the meeting faces practical difficulties. Disagreements over the format have arisen between the US and China: Beijing is reportedly insisting on a strictly regulated summit with pre-prepared statements, while Trump's team prefers a more informal conversation format between leaders. The final agenda has also not been determined. According to South China Morning Post, the main topic could be the risks of artificial intelligence to nuclear weapons, while the war in Ukraine might take a backseat. At the same time, the WSJ reports that Vladimir Putin is proposing to use such a meeting specifically to discuss ending the war in Ukraine.

### Beijing’s Reserved Stance on Nuclear Talks

China is cautious about trilateral nuclear disarmament talks. Back in October, the Chinese Foreign Ministry stated that the country's nuclear potential cannot be compared to that of the US and Russia, and therefore demanding Beijing's participation in such talks is “currently unfair and unrealistic.” This position explains why questions of denuclearization and the trilateral summit do not feature in official Chinese readouts of the Rubio-Wang Yi conversation.

### Chronology of Preparations

Preparations for the potential leaders' meeting have reportedly been underway for several weeks. Trump announced a visit to China and did not rule out a trilateral meeting with Xi Jinping and Putin, while the Chinese Foreign Ministry confirmed that working groups from Beijing and Washington have begun preparations. Key dates: the APEC summit in Shenzhen on November 18–19, and the G20 summit in Florida with Xi Jinping in December. Against this backdrop, diplomatic activity surrounding the Ukrainian settlement continues in other venues as well: in particular, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan stated his intention to discuss ways to end the war with Putin following his meeting with Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Istanbul, although the Kremlin has not yet confirmed specific agreements on such a conversation.

## Accounts differ

### Outcomes and Emphases of the Rubio and Wang Yi Conversation

- **US Department of State:** The parties agreed that leader-level meetings are important for advancing peace and denuclearization, including a possible trilateral meeting with Russia. ([rbc.ua](https://www.rbc.ua/ukr/news/putin-hoche-obgovoriti-zavershennya-viyni-1794449118.html))
- **Chinese Agency Xinhua:** The conversation was called “positive and constructive”; Beijing's readout did not mention a trilateral summit or denuclearization. ([rbc.ua](https://www.rbc.ua/ukr/news/putin-hoche-obgovoriti-zavershennya-viyni-1794449118.html))

*Where they agree:* Negotiations between the US Secretary of State and the Chinese Foreign Minister took place and focused on preparing leader-level contacts.

### Priority Topics for the Potential Trilateral Meeting

- **The Wall Street Journal (on Vladimir Putin's stance):** Putin proposes using such a meeting to discuss ending the war in Ukraine. ([rbc.ua](https://www.rbc.ua/ukr/news/putin-hoche-obgovoriti-zavershennya-viyni-1794449118.html))
- **South China Morning Post:** The main topic could be artificial intelligence risks to nuclear weapons, and the war in Ukraine might take a backseat. ([rbc.ua](https://www.rbc.ua/ukr/news/putin-hoche-obgovoriti-zavershennya-viyni-1794449118.html))

*Where they agree:* The final agenda of the meeting has not been determined.

## Fact-Check & Sources

- [Путин хочет обсудить завершение войны в Украине на встрече с Трампом и Си, - СМИ](https://www.rbc.ua/ukr/news/putin-hoche-obgovoriti-zavershennya-viyni-1794449118.html) - Primary source: details of the Rubio-Wang Yi conversation, positions of the State Department and Xinhua, WSJ and SCMP data on format and agenda, and APEC dates November 18–19 in Shenzhen.
- [Путин хочет договориться с Трампом и Си об Украине за спиной Зеленского: что задумал Кремль](https://tsn.ua/ru/svit/putin-hochet-dogovoritsya-s-trampom-i-si-ob-ukraine-za-spinoy-zelenskogo-chto-zadumal-kreml-3214219.html) - Cross-confirms WSJ data on Moscow's intention to use the trilateral format to discuss Ukraine and on disagreements over the format; the editorial assessment 'behind Zelenskyy's back' is not used as a fact in the article.
- [Эрдоган хочет обсудить с Путиным завершение войны в Украине](https://fakty.com.ua/ru/svit/20261105-erdogan-hoche-obgovoryty-z-putinym-zavershennya-vijny-v-ukrayini/) - Подтверждено по источнику fakty.com.ua
- [Эрдоган после встречи с Зеленским хочет обсудить с путиным завершение войны](https://unn.ua/ru/news/erdogan-posle-vstrechi-s-zelenskim-khochet-obsudit-s-putinim-zavershenie-voini) - Подтверждено по источнику unn.ua

## FAQ

### When and where might the meeting of the leaders of the US, China, and Russia take place?

According to reports, on the sidelines of the APEC summit in Shenzhen, scheduled for November 18–19, 2026. The meeting is not yet finally confirmed as preparations are underway.

### Who and when discussed the possibility of such a meeting?

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio discussed this possibility with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi. The State Department stated that the parties agreed on the importance of leader-level meetings.

### Do the US and China agree in describing the outcome of the conversation?

No. The US State Department mentions denuclearization and a possible trilateral format with Russia, while the Chinese agency Xinhua called the conversation “positive and constructive” without mentioning these topics.

### What topics might be included on the meeting's agenda?

According to the South China Morning Post, the main topic could be AI risks to nuclear weapons, while according to The Wall Street Journal, Putin proposes discussing an end to the war in Ukraine. The final agenda has not been determined.