Sourced fact
The News
The United States, Russia, and China intend to hold a historic trilateral meeting between the leaders of the three countries on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Shanghai, China next week, according to the White House via a spokesperson.
The summit hosted by 21 participating nations will see US President Donald Trump arrive in Shanghai late Wednesday for a two-day visit, where he will hold bilateral talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping on Thursday, marking his fourth such meeting since returning to office in 2025.
White House spokesperson Olivia Wells stated that President Trump will discuss the reduction of global nuclear weapons during the meeting, considering their proliferation extremely dangerous. Discussions may also touch upon Iran as a major nuclear power, though Ukraine was not mentioned.
Wells said the visit would achieve historic achievements for the American people and serve US interests in the Indian and Pacific Oceans, with expectations that his visit will conclude with a trilateral gathering between the presidents of the United States, China, and the Russian Federation.
This meeting comes after the expiration of the nuclear arms control treaty between the United States and Russia last February, leaving the world's largest nuclear arsenals without major controls. The UN has called on both parties to agree on a new framework immediately.
A senior unnamed US official stated that no formal agreement is expected to follow the talks, while Trump said he could replace the current deal with a better one involving China, which is building its nuclear arsenal.
Media reports indicate that the warm relations promoted between Trump and Xi at summits in Beijing and Washington this year have not yielded significant progress on trade issues or the AI race or Taiwan.
Chinese media reported on Friday that Xi would participate in bilateral talks on the sidelines of the summit without reporting on the trilateral meeting, while Russian news agency TASS stated that Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov confirmed signs confirming preparations for such talks.
Analysis & context
Analysis & Context
From an analytical perspective, this trilateral meeting represents a significant diplomatic challenge given the collapse of the nuclear arms control treaty between the United States and Russia last February, leaving the world's largest nuclear arsenals without major controls. The UN has called on both parties to agree on a new framework without delay, while Trump stated he could replace this agreement with a better one including China, which is building its nuclear arsenal.
In the broader context, Beijing has become a crucial trading partner for Moscow since the start of its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, strengthening Russia's isolation and placing it under Western sanctions. However, a controversial US deal to import Russian diesel and suspend sanctions on Russia's largest oil and gas buyers has raised European concerns about softening US administration attitudes toward the Kremlin.
Trump and Xi Jinping also sought to showcase warm ties at Beijing and Washington summits this year, though progress was limited on key issues such as trade, the race for AI dominance, and Taiwan. The war in Iran remains a complex point of contention, with Beijing being Iran's largest oil buyer and its biggest trading partner.
Chinese official media reported on Friday that Xi Jinping would participate in bilateral talks on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit, according to a spokesperson from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, but did not report on the trilateral meeting. Earlier this month, Russian news agency TASS reported that Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said there were signs confirming preparations for such talks at the summit.
