US, China and Russia leaders set for rare three-way summit in Shenzhen

UPDATE - follow-up to Trump, Xi and Putin plan unprecedented joint meeting on sidelines of APEC in China: officials: Leaders of the United States, China and Russia will meet on November 19, 2026, in Shenzhen on the sidelines of the APEC summit. White House officials confirmed the three-way talks between Donald Trump, Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin on Friday, November 13, 2026. This marks an unprecedented gathering of the heads of the world's biggest nuclear powers, though analysts expect more symbolism than major breakthroughs.

Meeting Goals And Nuclear Talks

Mr. Trump pushed for the summit to discuss the U.S. war with Iran and his goal of reaching a three-way nuclear arms agreement. The last nuclear arms pact between Russia and the United States expired in February, removing caps on atomic arsenals. Mr. Trump rejected Russia's call to extend the old deal for a year, pushing instead for a new pact that includes China. Beijing holds more than 600 warheads based on Pentagon estimates, a much smaller stockpile than the 5,000 held by the U.S. and Russia each, leaving China with little interest in a nuclear pact.

Reactions And Regional Concerns

Edgard Kagan, a former U.S. ambassador to Malaysia now at the Centre for Strategic and International Studies, noted the meeting lets Mr. Putin signal a desire to make decisions on Ukraine that Ukrainians and Europeans dislike. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy expressed concern that the meeting could lead to a Ukraine deal behind Kyiv's back. Hoo Tiang Boon, a professor of Chinese foreign policy at Nanyang Technological University, said the trilateral could undercut China's push to portray itself as a defender of free trade and multilateralism at APEC.

Context

The APEC summit brings 21 economies to Shenzhen, a Chinese tech hub that grew from a small fishing village into a global economic center. The meeting also highlights complex ties, as China is Moscow's top trading partner, supplying high-tech components and buying Russian energy despite Western isolation efforts.