(Photo courtesy of Anadolu)
WASHINGTON – US President Donald Trump is set to hold trilateral talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Shenzhen, China, next week on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit, the White House announced Friday.
The meeting is expected to focus on global nuclear weapons reduction and other international security concerns.
“The President has made it clear that, among other topics, he will discuss the reduction of nuclear weapons in the world, whose proliferation President Trump believes is very dangerous,” White House Assistant Press Secretary Olivia Wales told reporters.
Trump is also scheduled to meet Xi separately on Thursday afternoon for bilateral discussions and a working lunch before concluding his China visit with the trilateral meeting.
A senior US official, who requested anonymity, said Washington did not anticipate an immediate agreement from the three-way discussions, describing the meeting as an initial step toward broader engagement.
“I would characterize this as the entry point, the first conversation, certainly at the leader level between these countries,” the official said.
The official expressed concern over the rapid expansion of China’s nuclear arsenal and urged Beijing to take a more active role in global arms control discussions.
Trump is also expected to raise developments involving Iran during the trilateral meeting.
However, Ukraine will not be part of the agenda, as Washington intends to address the conflict through its separate diplomatic discussions with Moscow.
Trump to visit Philippines before China
Trump will depart Washington on Monday for Manila, where he is scheduled to participate in a Quad leaders’ meeting and the US-Association of Southeast Asian Nations Special Summit.
During his Philippine visit, Trump is also expected to attend a welcome ceremony hosted by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and sign a trade agreement with Thailand.
The US president will then travel to Shenzhen on Wednesday for the APEC meetings.
His bilateral meeting with Xi on Thursday will focus largely on reviewing the implementation of existing trade agreements between Washington and Beijing.
Another senior US official described the meeting as “an implementation check-in, a stocktaking,” adding that no immediate announcement on tariff adjustments was expected.
Rare earth minerals are also expected to figure prominently in the discussions, with Washington expressing dissatisfaction over the pace and volume of Chinese exports.
“We’re not getting them at the pace and at the level that we would like,” the official said.
The official explained that these concerns prompted Washington to extend the Busan agreement for only two months instead of six.
Trump is expected to raise the matter directly with Xi.
Meanwhile, US officials said allegations involving American chipmaker Nvidia were unlikely to affect the president’s visit.
“We do not negotiate American export controls,” one official emphasized.
Tesla and SpaceX chief executive Elon Musk is also expected to accompany Trump during portions of his China visit, although he will not participate in official government meetings.
The upcoming meetings are expected to provide an opportunity for the three major powers to discuss nuclear security while Washington and Beijing continue negotiations over trade and strategic economic issues.
