China plans Trump–Putin–Xi summit at WWII parade

According to The Times, Xi is likely to invite Trump to a military parade in China this September to mark the end of World War II. Putin, who has already accepted the Chinese leader's invitation, is expected to attend the event.

The publication notes that analysts, as well as some Chinese citizens, have urged Xi Jinping to use the occasion to hold a trilateral summit with Trump and Putin.

"Why not align Trump's visit with the September 3 parade? If President Trump visits China and attends the parade on September 3, it would send a strong, positive signal to the world. The image of the Chinese, Russian and American leaders standing together could be a powerful message of peace and stability," said Jin Canrong, a nationalist Chinese commentator, in a comment to The Times.

The Times adds that Trump and Xi previously exchanged invitations to visit each other's countries, but no specific dates were set. The outlet suggests that organizing the summit as part of military events would provide a convenient pretext for such a meeting.

It is also reported that Xi views the celebration as an opportunity to emphasize solidarity with former wartime allies, particularly Russia, which suffered heavy losses in World War II. Taiwanese analyst Wen-Ti Sung noted that the event could also serve to divert domestic attention from internal political issues, including slowing economic growth.

"A visit to China, and a meeting with Putin and Xi, would appeal to Trump's highly personal approach to leadership. It would also reassure both Xi and Putin, who have seen the humiliation Trump has meted out to national leaders visiting Washington and would see a summit in Beijing as a way of controlling both the agenda and the political messaging," The Times writes.

Trump and Xi Jinping

In early June, Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping held a phone conversation. According to media reports, the call took place at the request of the White House. However, the details of the dialogue were not disclosed.

On April 2, the United States imposed import tariffs on goods from more than 180 countries worldwide, with rates ranging from 10% to 49%, depending on the country and product categories. Just a week later, the White House suspended the tariffs for 90 days and introduced a flat rate of 10% for all countries.

However, China was an exception — import tariffs for Chinese goods were raised to 140%. In response, Beijing imposed retaliatory tariffs of 125% on US goods. On May 12, the US and China agreed to a 90-day pause in the trade war.

Putin and Xi Jinping

On May 9, Vladimir Putin held the traditional Victory Day parade in Moscow. As part of the event, Chinese leader Xi Jinping visited Russia for a four-day trip. Earlier, media outlets reported that one of the topics discussed during the Putin–Xi talks did not concern Ukraine.

Specifically, Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin met in Moscow on May 8. They made a number of statements and exchanged complimentary remarks.

Putin and Trump

Donald Trump had stated that he might travel to Türkiye, where delegations from Ukraine and Russia met on May 16, if "it would be appropriate." However, the visit never took place.

Later, the US president said he would meet with Putin as soon as such a meeting could be arranged.