Trump's planned meeting with Xi and Putin at risk of falling apart over format dispute

What are the disagreements, and what do they mean for the meeting

According to sources, China wants any summit involving the leaders of the three countries to follow a strictly structured format, with a pre-written statement read aloud and minimal room for discussion.

The Trump administration, meanwhile, is pushing for a more free-flowing format that would allow the three leaders to exchange views more actively, rather than deliver prepared monologues on the sidelines of the APEC summit scheduled for November 18–19 in Shenzhen, China.

Disagreements between Beijing and Washington over the rules and agenda have cast doubt on whether the meeting will take place, despite the fact that the United States, China, and Russia initially expressed willingness to consider the idea.

One of the main sticking points

Trump recently made it clear that he wants to raise the issue of denuclearization and nuclear arms control. China has a much smaller nuclear arsenal than the United States and Russia, although its capabilities are growing rapidly. However, Beijing has long been reluctant to engage in any negotiations on the issue.

But according to the WSJ, China's participation in trilateral arms control talks could cement its status as a nuclear power at a disadvantage. This, in turn, is unacceptable to Xi Jinping, who has overseen the largest expansion of China's nuclear arsenal in the country's history. In addition, one Chinese official said Beijing would not agree to participate.

What Russia and China hope to achieve through the meeting

The publication writes that Putin's proposal for a trilateral meeting was apparently aimed at capitalizing on the warming of Trump's relations with the Kremlin and, with China's help, making progress toward ending the war against Ukraine on terms favorable to Russia and without the participation of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

A Chinese official told the publication that Beijing was prepared to host a trilateral meeting, but only if advance preparations ensured an agreed-upon agenda and a predetermined outcome.

The source also added that China was willing to discuss Ukraine and other important issues in this format. However, without such advance preparations, Beijing would prefer to hold separate bilateral meetings.

A senior administration official said Xi Jinping apparently does not want to take part in informal exchanges with his counterparts, and that the demand for a specific format raises questions about Beijing's willingness to engage directly.

Sources close to China's leadership also say Xi wants to create the appearance of a historic trilateral dialogue — complete with photographs, statements, and propaganda value — without risking unpredictable negotiations.

What else you need to know

As a reminder, US President Donald Trump recently announced that he plans to travel to China next week and will most likely hold a trilateral meeting with the leaders of China and Russia. He stressed that the meeting would be very interesting.

We also reported that China's Foreign Ministry confirmed yesterday that teams from Beijing and Washington had begun preparations for trilateral talks.