Trump, Xi, and Putin to Meet in China for Trilateral Summit

United States President Donald Trump, Chinese President Xi Jinping, and Russian President Vladimir Putin are scheduled to hold a trilateral meeting in Shenzhen, China, on Thursday, November 20, 2026. The summit will occur on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit. The White House confirmed the meeting agenda on Friday, November 14, 2026.

Agenda and Diplomatic Focus

The meeting aims to address the reduction of global nuclear arsenals and the war in Iran. White House spokesperson Olivia Wales said, "The president intends to discuss the reduction of the world's nuclear arsenal and considers proliferation dangerous." An anonymous US official added that the president intends to discuss Iran during the trilateral meeting. Furthermore, an anonymous US official stated that the meeting is viewed as a starting point for dialogue rather than a negotiation for immediate results.

The summit comes at a time of significant shifts in international security. The last major nuclear arms control treaty between the United States and Russia expired in February 2026. This meeting also marks a return to the international diplomatic stage for Vladimir Putin following Western isolation after the 2022 invasion of Ukraine. Some observers have compared the potential redistribution of global spheres of influence at this meeting to the 1945 Yalta Conference.

Negotiations Regarding Ukraine

While the trilateral summit focuses on nuclear and Iranian issues, the war in Ukraine will not be discussed during this specific meeting because China is not considered part of those specific negotiations. Instead, the United States is conducting separate negotiations with Kyiv and Moscow to end the war in Ukraine. European representatives from France, Germany, the United Kingdom, Poland, and Italy, along with the European Union, will participate in these Russia-Ukraine negotiations.

Russia and Ukraine have previously held negotiations in Abu Dhabi under US mediation. President Donald Trump is also scheduled to hold a bilateral meeting and a working lunch with President Xi Jinping on Thursday, marking the fourth meeting between the two leaders since President Donald Trump returned to power in 2025. President Donald Trump is not scheduled to have a separate one-on-one meeting with Vladimir Putin.

Regarding other international matters, the meeting is not expected to discuss the resignation of Nvidia chief executive Jensen Huang over an affair with an alleged Chinese spy. Additionally, the discussions will not cover the US administration's capture of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro in January.

Glossary

• Shenzhen — Shenzhen is a location in China. It is the site where the Conference on International Exchange of Professionals (CIEP) is held annually.
• proliferation — Proliferation is a phenomenon that can be supported by criminal organizations. It is considered dangerous by US officials.
• spheres of influence — Spheres of influence are traditional areas of political or social influence. They can be subject to redistribution during international meetings.
• Yalta Conference — The Yalta Conference was one of a multitude of conferences held by the Allies as the conclusion of World War II was nearing. These conferences were meant to coordinate and plan the post-war world.