WSJ: Meeting Between Trump, Putin, And Xi Jinping May Fall Through
- 10.11.2026, 9:55
Due to disagreements over the format.
The U.S. and China disagree on the format of a trilateral meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump, Chinese leader Xi Jinping, and Russian dictator Vladimir Putin. This threatens to derail the meeting.
This was reported by The Wall Street Journal.
What Are the Disagreements and What Are the Risks
According to sources, China wants any summit between the leaders of the three countries to be strictly regulated, with a pre-prepared statement read aloud and minimal room for discussion.
Meanwhile, the Trump administration is insisting on a more informal format that would allow the three leaders to exchange views more actively, rather than pre-prepared monologues on the sidelines of the APEC summit, which will take place on November 18–19 in Shenzhen, China.
Disagreements between Beijing and Washington over the rules and agenda are raising doubts about whether the meeting will take place, despite the fact that the U.S., China, and Russia initially expressed a willingness to consider the idea.
One of the sticking points
Trump recently made it clear that he wants to raise the issue of denuclearization (nuclear arms control). China has a much smaller nuclear arsenal than the U.S. and Russia, although it is growing rapidly; however, Beijing has long been reluctant to engage in any negotiations on this issue.
But as the WSJ reports, for China, participating in trilateral arms control talks risks cementing Beijing’s status as a nuclear second-class power. This, in turn, is unacceptable to Xi Jinping, who has overseen the most significant expansion of China’s nuclear arsenal in its history. Furthermore, a Chinese official stated that Beijing would not agree to participate.
What do Russia and Beijing hope to achieve through this meeting
The publication writes that Putin’s proposal for a trilateral meeting, was apparently intended to capitalize on the warming of relations between Trump and the Kremlin and, with China’s help, achieve progress in ending the war against Ukraine on terms favorable to Russia and without the participation of Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
A Chinese official told the publication that Beijing is ready to host a trilateral meeting, but only on the condition of prior preparation that ensures a coordinated agenda and a predetermined outcome.
The source also added that China is willing to discuss Ukraine and other important issues in this format. However, without such preparatory work, Beijing would prefer to hold separate bilateral meetings.
A high-ranking administration official stated that Xi Jinping apparently does not wish to engage in informal exchanges of views with his counterparts, and that the demand for a specific format raises questions about Beijing’s willingness to engage directly.
Sources close to the Beijing leadership also say that Xi Jinping wants to create the appearance of a historic trilateral dialogue—complete with photos, statements, and propaganda value—without the risk of unpredictable negotiations.