US, China, and Russia to Hold Historic Trilateral Summit in Shenzhen

The White House announced on November 13, 2026, that a historic trilateral summit between the leaders of the United States, China, and Russia will be held on November 19, 2026. The meeting is scheduled to take place in Shenzhen, China, during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit. This event marks the first-ever trilateral summit between the leaders of the United States, China, and Russia.

President Donald Trump is scheduled to attend the APEC summit starting November 18, 2026. During the proceedings, President Donald Trump plans to hold a bilateral meeting and a working lunch with President Xi Jinping on November 19, 2026. While the summit aims to address significant global issues, the White House does not expect any formal agreements to be reached during this meeting.

Agenda and Global Security

The summit is expected to address nuclear arms reduction and the situation in Iran. White House Press Secretary Olivia Wales stated that the President intends to include global nuclear arms reduction on the agenda. President Donald Trump also stated that he intends to discuss many topics, including denuclearization.

The discussions regarding nuclear security come at a time of significant global shifts. The New START treaty between the United States and Russia expired in February. While China's nuclear arsenal is significantly smaller than those of the United States and Russia, the United States believes China's participation in arms control dialogue is important for international security. Currently, China's nuclear arsenal is estimated at 600 warheads, while the United States and Russia each own an estimated 5,000 nuclear warheads.

Diplomatic Context and Separate Negotiations

The trilateral meeting is expected to exclude discussions regarding the conflict in Ukraine. The United States is conducting separate negotiations with the Ukrainian and Russian governments regarding the Ukraine conflict. Following a visit to Moscow, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with American representatives. Additionally, Vladimir Putin held talks with US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and US Representative Jared Kushner in the Kremlin on November 12.

Regarding other regional tensions, the United States claimed positive dynamics in resolving the conflict with Iran on November 11. The White House also intends to raise the issue of rare earth metal supplies during bilateral talks with China. President Donald Trump's Asia tour begins on November 16, starting with a visit to Manila, Philippines.

Glossary

• Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation — Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC AY-pek) is an inter-governmental forum for 21 member economies in the Pacific Rim. It promotes free trade throughout the Asia-Pacific region.
• Shenzhen — Shenzhen is one of China's most competitive financial centers. It also hosts one of the world's ten largest stock exchanges by market capitalization and trade volume.
• New START treaty — The New START treaty is an agreement limiting the number of U.S. and Russian long-range nuclear warheads. It is the sole remaining agreement of its kind between the two nations.