MANILA: US President Donald Trump, Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin could meet at the upcoming APEC summit in Shenzhen, where global leaders will discuss trade, artificial intelligence and security.
The proposed meeting has drawn attention because the three leaders have different priorities. Putin wants discussions on Ukraine, while Trump has raised nuclear disarmament and ending the war in Iran. Analysts expect limited progress.
Ryan Hass of the Brookings Institution said Xi and Putin might consider Trump’s arms-control proposals without agreeing to concrete follow-up measures.
Wang Wen, dean of Renmin University’s Chongyang Institute for Financial Studies, also considered a major diplomatic breakthrough unlikely.
The Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit on November 18–19 follows meetings of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in Manila and the Francophonie summit in Phnom Penh.
Trump and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney are expected at both ASEAN and APEC. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will attend the Manila gathering, while French President Emmanuel Macron is due in Cambodia.
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Artificial intelligence will feature prominently in Shenzhen after Trump and Xi agreed in September to establish a communication channel for AI-related incidents.
Washington and Beijing face shared concerns over biological weapons and infrastructure hacking despite their technology rivalry. Further cooperation could build on their earlier agreement.
Read: The Chinese dragon and the Russian bear Roar Together: Xi, Putin form power duo at APEC
Trade disputes remain another concern. The US-China trade pause runs through January 10, but disagreements over Chinese rare-earth exports persist.
Oxford Economics economist Harry Murphy Cruise said major changes to US tariffs remained unlikely because the president retains extensive authority over existing trade measures.
Read: North Korea Fires Multiple Ballistic Missiles Before Trump-Xi Summit
In Manila, ASEAN members face another obstacle in negotiations with China over a South China Sea Code of Conduct. A Southeast Asian diplomat involved in summit preparations told AFP that an agreement was unlikely.
Earlier maritime confrontations and diplomatic disputes have complicated negotiations. Trump’s prospects of meeting North Korean leader Kim Jong Un also appear limited after Pyongyang rejected repeated US approaches.
With additional input from AFP
