The three leaders are scheduled to meet on Nov. 19 on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Shenzhen, marking the first trilateral meeting between the leaders of the United States, China and Russia.
White House spokesperson Olivia Wales told reporters that Trump intends to discuss reducing global nuclear arsenals, warning that the proliferation of nuclear weapons poses serious dangers.
The ongoing war in Iran is also expected to feature prominently in the discussions, according to senior U.S. officials.
However, the war in Ukraine is unlikely to be addressed during the trilateral meeting.
A senior U.S. official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Washington maintains a separate negotiation channel with Russia and Ukraine, making it inappropriate to involve China in those discussions.
U.S. officials also cautioned against expectations of an immediate breakthrough on nuclear arms control, describing the meeting as an initial opportunity for dialogue rather than negotiations expected to produce an agreement.
China has long resisted joining nuclear arms reduction talks with Washington and Moscow, arguing that the two countries possess significantly larger nuclear arsenals.
Meanwhile, a U.S. official said that Trump is not expected to meet Kim Jong-un during his upcoming visits to the Philippines and China.
Trump is scheduled to attend the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) summit in Manila before traveling to Shenzhen for the APEC summit on Nov. 18 and 19.
The announcement dampens speculation about a possible meeting between Trump and Kim, particularly after the U.S. president previously expressed interest in meeting the North Korean leader before the end of the year.
Trump and Kim last met in June 2019 at the inter-Korean border, following their earlier summits in Singapore in 2018 and Hanoi in February 2019.
Kim Hee-su
Kim Hee-su is a bilingual reporter at AJU Press, covering defense and foreign affairs. Before joining AJP in 2025, she worked at The Korea Times, where she wrote interview stories, including a profile of North Korean defector Kim Gum-hyok, and produced digital content. She also previously worked as a researcher for KBS News 9’s International News Department, supporting correspondents in 10 countries around the world. She graduated from the University of Toronto in Canada with a double major in Book and Media Studies and East Asian Studies.
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