Trump, Xi And Putin To Hold First-Ever Trilateral Meeting At APEC Summit In Shenzhen

President Donald Trump will sit down with Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin next week in the first trilateral meeting among the three leaders, senior U.S. officials told reporters Friday evening. The talks will take place on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit in Shenzhen, China.

Denuclearization will be the focus, the officials said. They do not anticipate a concrete agreement and describe the session as an initial conversation on the subject. Trump is also expected to discuss Iran with Xi and Putin, but he does not intend to bring up Russia’s war with Ukraine during the trilateral.

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Trump has teased a face-to-face meeting with the leaders of the world’s leading nuclear powers for some time. On Oct. 19, he told ABC News he would like to meet with Putin and Xi when he visits China, saying, “I would do that,” and indicated a desire to discuss denuclearization. Trump will meet Xi before the trilateral, but he and Putin will not hold a separate one-on-one meeting, the officials said.

Who Is Traveling With Trump To The APEC Summit In China?

Billionaire Elon Musk will join Trump for parts of his China travels, according to the officials. They did not specify why Musk is accompanying the president and pointed only to his business interests in China.

An official said additional U.S. business leaders are expected at the APEC CEO Summit but are not part of the U.S. delegation.

The Shenzhen stop will be Trump’s second trip to China this year and his third meeting with Xi. Before the China leg, he will be in Manila for the ASEAN Summit. An official added that there are no plans for Trump to meet North Korean leader Kim Jong Un while he is in Asia.

Will The Nvidia Controversy Affect Trump’s Meeting With Xi?

The senior officials said they do not expect this week’s Nvidia controversy to affect the trip or the president’s planned meetings. Jensen Huang resigned as CEO of the chipmaker over concerns about his affair with Alice Huang, a Chinese national and former Megaspeed executive who is accused of being a Chinese spy.

Officials said they do not expect Trump to raise the allegations against Alice Huang with Xi. The two presidents plan to focus on implementing aspects of their trade agreement.

“You know, I think when it comes to some of these national security matters and examinations and investigations that are going on in the U.S., it’s probably not something that we’re going to read the Chinese in on at this moment,” a senior U.S. official said.

Trump’s Asia Trip Schedule: From Manila To Shenzhen

Trump will leave the White House on Monday morning for Manila, where he will take part in a series of multilateral meetings on peace and security in the Indo-Pacific region, the officials said. He is also expected to sign a trade deal with Thailand.

In the Philippines, Trump will attend a welcome ceremony and state visit with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., followed by a bilateral meeting. Officials said he is expected to secure “commercial deals and strategic investments” during the two-day visit.

Trump will then travel to Shenzhen for the APEC leaders’ dinner and a multilateral meeting with APEC leaders. On Thursday afternoon, he will hold a bilateral meeting and working lunch with Xi. The Trump-Xi-Putin meeting will be the final event of the trip.