China confirms contacts with the US and Russia over a possible Putin, Trump, and Xi meeting at the APEC summit

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said at a regular briefing in Beijing that “China is maintaining contacts with the relevant parties regarding a possible meeting of the leaders of China, Russia, and the US”.

Bloomberg writes that this refers to a possible first trilateral meeting between Chinese President Xi Jinping, US President Donald Trump, and Russian President Vladimir Putin at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit, which will take place this month. According to the agency, Trump and Putin have already publicly expressed interest in such a format. When asked about a meeting of the three leaders in Shenzhen, Mao Ning did not provide details about the content of the talks.

The topic of the possible talks has not yet been specified. Bloomberg notes that such a meeting would be an unprecedented event in the relations among the three nuclear powers.

The publication also writes that holding the meeting could become an important milestone in Russia’s efforts to overcome international isolation after the invasion of Ukraine. In addition, such a format could give Xi Jinping the opportunity to act as a mediator in organizing talks between Putin and Trump. Mao Ning’s statement, made on Wednesday, indicates Beijing’s readiness to consider such an option two weeks before the summit begins.