Putin allows a gathering with Xi and Trump in Shenzhen. Beijing does not confirm talks

chiny24.com 3 weeks ago

Vladimir Putin said on 1 October that a gathering with Xi Jinping and Donald Trump during the November APEC summit in Shenzhen is possible. However, he did not supply an agreed format or date of talks. 2 days later, the Chinese Ministry of abroad Affairs stated that there was no information that could convey about specified a meeting.

APEC will be held in Shenzhen on 18 and 19 November. China hosts the forum and the Kremlin assumes Putin's participation. Donald Trump has already declared his presence at this summit. This happened at the end of Xi Jinping's fresh visit to the US.

Putin's declaration at the Wałdaj forum

Putin's message was made on 1 October at the 21st plenary session of the yearly Welsh Discuss Club gathering in Moscow. Wang Huiyao, who introduced himself as the head of the Beijing Centre for China and Globalization, asked the Russian president to discuss with Xi and Trump during the APEC and about China's function in peacekeeping.

Putin replied that the tripartite format "is besides possible". At the same time, he said that the first thing to do was to identify the issues that would constitute a program of talks. In his opinion, the organisation of a possible gathering would depend mostly on China as host of APEC and Xi Jinping.

Beijing: no information on tripartite format

On October 3, Chinese MFA spokesperson Guo Jiakun was asked by TASS and RIA Novosti journalists about Putin's words. In response, he stated that China as the host of APEC wanted to cooperate with all parties for the success of the "Year of China" in the forum. With respect to the possible Russia-China-US discussion, he added that there is presently no circumstantial information he could provide.

On the same day, Guo besides answered Reuters' question about Putin's possible encounter with Xi Jinping. He said China welcomes the Russian President's participation in the November gathering of APEC leaders in Shenzhen.

Russia has been talking about possibilities since early September

The thought of talking to the 3 leaders had already appeared in Russian communications. On September 1, Putin's advisor Yuri Uszakov reported that the subject had been raised during the Putin–Xi talks. According to his account, Xi, as host of APEC, pointed out that Trump would most likely come to Shenzhen, and Putin received an invitation. Uszakov said that in favorable conditions there could be a gathering of 3 leaders or at least their bilateral talks.

This was the Russian side's account. China did not then declare separately that the tripartite format was planned.

On September 27, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitri Pieskov announced that Moscow assumes Putin's participation in APEC. He called Shenzhen a good chance to contact the Russian president with the leaders of China and the United States, but pointed out that it was besides early to find whether it would be trialogues or separate bilateral meetings.

APEC is an economical forum

The gathering of APEC leaders in Shenzhen will run from 18 to 19 November. The Forum brings together 21 Asian-Pacific economies and deals with economical and trade cooperation. Its decisions are non-binding and are made on a consensus basis.

China took the presidency at APEC in 2026. They identified openness, innovation and cooperation as priorities. The Forum's authoritative programme includes economical discussions between the leaders of associate States and economies. A possible Russia-China-US gathering would be organised alongside this programme, following separate diplomatic arrangements.

The host function means that Beijing is liable for organizing the APEC event. However, it does not prejudge the agenda of talks by 3rd country leaders or their formula.

Xi and Trump's conversations stay behind

On September 24, Xi Jinping and Donald Trump spoke at the White House. The Chinese Ministry of abroad Affairs stated that the leaders confirmed common support for their APEC meetings in Shenzhen and G20 in the United States. The Communication does not specify the next contact program of both leaders during APEC.

In September, Beijing and Washington besides announced eight areas of agreement after Xi's visit to the USA, concerning inter alia trade, investment and dialog on artificial intelligence. These arrangements have (if they are inactive valid for the American website) their own work channels.

W Therefore, Shenzhen will coincide with 3 separate cases: Chinese leadership in APEC, the planned participation of Putin and further Chinese-American contacts after the September gathering of Xi and Trump. The anticipation of a tripartite gathering of Xi-Trump-Putin remains 1 of the options considered for the APEC margins meetings, at least until the parties have given a common programme and format.

Leszek B. Glass

Email: [email protected]

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