Trump to Meet Xi and Putin in Shenzhen on November 19 for First Three-Way Nuclear Arms Talks

The update

White House spokesperson Olivia Wales said on Friday that President Donald Trump will meet Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday, November 19, on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum in Shenzhen, China, to discuss reducing nuclear weapons. A senior United States official said no agreement is expected. Trump leaves on Monday for a four-day Asia trip including the Philippines, and is expected to raise the United States-Israeli war against Iran, but not Ukraine, at the meeting.

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Why it matters

The meeting would be the first of its kind between the leaders of the world’s three largest nuclear powers. The United States-Russia New START treaty expired in February, leaving the biggest arsenals without major limits. Russia holds the most stored warheads, followed by the United States and China, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute. China has long resisted trilateral nuclear talks, arguing Washington and Moscow should talk directly because they hold larger arsenals.

What to watch

Neither Moscow nor Beijing has commented on the White House announcement, and Chinese state media have mentioned only bilateral talks for Xi at the summit. Watch whether Russia and China confirm they will discuss arms reductions, and whether November 19 opens a continuing process or produces only opening statements.

Sources

• dw.com — confirms the Shenzhen date, the nuclear focus and that no agreement is expected
• thehindu.com — confirms the White House announcement, the trip schedule and China’s resistance to trilateral talks

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