Diplomacy — 2026-11-14

Trump to Meet Xi and Putin at APEC in China With Nuclear Proliferation on Agenda

BLUFA trilateral among Trump, Xi and Putin in Shenzhen will likely occur by November 21, elevating Moscow's standing as a co-equal while sidelining Ukraine and signaling that great-power diplomacy will proceed on Washington's terms.

White House spokeswoman Olivia Wales said Friday that Trump will hold a joint meeting with Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin in China next week, the first trilateral among the three leaders 12. The AP reported the meeting is planned for Thursday on the sidelines of the APEC summit in Shenzhen 3, and CNN reported Beijing and Moscow have not officially confirmed participation 2. Wales said Trump will discuss reducing nuclear weapons 4, and a senior US official told reporters, "We do not expect to get to any kind of agreement" 2. Senior US officials said Iran will be discussed but Ukraine will not, and that Trump is not expected to raise the Jensen Huang and Alice Huang espionage matter 14. Musk will travel with Trump but not attend the trilateral 12.

Analysis
Confidence is low because the date and format come from US officials alone, with Beijing and Moscow offering no confirmation, and the four outlets reflect one White House sourcing stream rather than independent corroboration. Trump, Xi and Putin will likely hold a joint trilateral meeting in Shenzhen on the sidelines of APEC by November 21. Washington has set the bar low, calling the session an "entry point" and expecting no agreement, so the value lies in signaling. Moscow gains standing as a peer of Washington and Beijing, while Xi must square hosting with China's APEC pitch as a defender of multilateralism. Washington may be announcing ahead of Chinese and Russian consent to pressure both, and Beijing or Moscow could limit participation to separate bilateral sessions. If the meeting occurs, European and Asian allies must respond to any arms control framework including China, and Kyiv, excluded from the agenda, will press for assurances. If not, expect only bilateral Trump-Xi talks and no movement on a New START successor.

4 sources

Trump to Meet With Putin and Xi in China, With Nuclear Proliferation on the Agenda - The New York Times
Trump to meet with China's Xi and Russia's Putin at historic trilateral sit-down on nuclear non-proliferation - CNN
Trump, Xi and Putin plan an unprecedented joint meeting on the sidelines of APEC, officials say - The Washington Post (AP)
Trump, Xi and Putin plan an unprecedented meeting on the sidelines of APEC, officials say - NBC News