China: Talks underway regarding possible Xi-Trump-Putin meeting

 

TT

 

Published 09.42

  

Russian President Vladimir Putin, US President Donald Trump, and Chinese President Xi Jinping. File photos. Photo: Vyacheslav Prokofyev/Charlie Riedel/Kai Naito/AP/TT

China has confirmed that discussions are underway regarding a potential first meeting between Presidents Xi Jinping, Donald Trump, and Vladimir Putin, to take place in conjunction with the APEC summit in Shenzhen the week after next.

"China is in talks with the relevant parties regarding a meeting between the heads of state and government of China, Russia, and the United States," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning stated at a press briefing, according to AFP.

The Financial Times reported on Tuesday that discussions were taking place concerning a meeting between the three presidents during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit, scheduled for November 18–19. At that time, Beijing declined to comment, while the Kremlin—the Russian seat of power—confirmed that preparations for such a meeting were underway.

It remains unclear whether any such meeting would address the war in Ukraine; however, the timing coincides with increasingly intensive efforts to reach a peace settlement.