U.S. President Donald Trump said he thinks he will meet Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin around the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) leaders’ summit in Shenzhen later this month. The gathering is not confirmed: Trump described it as something he expects, while Beijing has said discussions are underway.

What Trump said about a possible APEC meeting

Trump made the comments to reporters on Sunday, Nov. 8, before returning to Washington from Florida. He said one of his meetings in China, he thinks, would be with Xi and Putin, and mentioned denuclearization and efforts to end the Iran war among the subjects he expects to discuss. Reuters reported his remarks and said the APEC leaders’ summit is set for Nov. 18–19 in Shenzhen.

Beijing has confirmed talks, not a final plan

The Associated Press reported on Nov. 6 that Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said Beijing was communicating with relevant parties about a three-leader meeting. AP also reported that no arrangement had been set at that point. The distinction matters: discussions and Trump’s expectation do not establish that the meeting will happen, what its format would be, or whether the leaders would reach any agreement.

The APEC leaders’ meeting provides a scheduled gathering in Shenzhen, but the public statements so far leave the proposed trilateral encounter uncertain. The summit’s confirmed timetable can be checked on APEC’s official site. The possible meeting has also been discussed in the context of the separate war in Ukraine; Globuzz previously reported on the upcoming Abu Dhabi peace talks and security guarantees.

Sources: Reuters on Trump’s remarks; Associated Press on Beijing’s confirmation that discussions are underway; APEC official website.