Trump Set for Historic Trilateral Summit With Xi and Putin in Shenzhen Next Thursday to Discuss Nuclear Arms Control

President Donald Trump is scheduled to hold an unprecedented three-way meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Shenzhen, China next Thursday, according to the New York Post. The summit, which would be the first such trilateral gathering between the leaders of the United States, China and Russia, is set to take place on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation leaders summit, which China is hosting this year.

Nuclear arms control is the primary agenda item Trump has outlined for the meeting. Trump has spoken for two years about his ambition to reach a deal with Russia and China to reduce nuclear weapons stockpiles, though neither Putin nor Xi has previously shown strong appetite for the idea. China's reluctance stems in part from its significantly smaller nuclear arsenal compared to the U.S. and Russia, while Putin has signaled a preference for discussing Ukraine without Kyiv at the table.

China's foreign ministry confirmed the talks are advancing, with spokesperson Mao Ning saying Beijing "is in communication with relevant parties regarding a meeting between the three heads of state." Trump's Shenzhen trip also carries separate bilateral weight, as it would mark his third meeting with Xi this year and comes ahead of a January expiration date for the fragile U.S.-China trade truce.