Trump says Xi-Putin trilateral likely at APEC summit in Shenzhen

Shenzhen — An unprecedented trilateral meeting between US President Donald Trump, Chinese leader Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin is moving closer to becoming a reality, the Japan Times reported.

Speaking to reporters on Sunday, Trump said he believed such a meeting would be one of a handful he hopes to hold when he visits Shenzhen for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit on 18 and 19 November. He described the prospective session with Putin and Xi as one that would be interesting, according to the Japan Times.

Asked about the agenda, Trump said the talks would cover a lot of ground, including denuclearisation, and that he was also trying to end the war in Iran. Beijing has already confirmed that discussions are under way on the proposed three-way encounter, as Wide World News has reported.

A sit-down between the leaders of the United States, China and Russia on the sidelines of a regional economic forum would be without precedent. It would place the three largest nuclear powers in one room at a moment when Washington is simultaneously pursuing arms-control dialogue and pressing for an end to the Iran conflict, according to Trump's own account.

No formal confirmation of the trilateral meeting has come from Moscow or Beijing beyond the reported talks, and the Japan Times report did not specify a date, venue or format for the encounter within the two-day summit.

The next marker will come on 18 November, when the APEC summit opens in Shenzhen: whether the three leaders appear together, and whether any statement on denuclearisation follows, will show how far the talks have moved from aspiration to agreement.