Leaders of the United States, China, and Russia plan to meet on Thursday on the sidelines of next week’s Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Shenzhen, marking an unprecedented gathering of the heads of the world’s biggest nuclear powers.
The White House confirmed plans for the three-way summit on Friday, NBC News reported.
While the meeting brings Donald Trump, Xi Jinping, and Vladimir Putin together, analysts expect few major breakthroughs, noting the talks will carry more symbolism than substance. Beijing’s arsenal holds more than 600 warheads according to Pentagon estimates, sitting far below the inventories held by the U.S. and Russia, which each hold more than 5,000 warheads.
“The three parties have vastly different demands, making the management of expectations difficult,” said Wen-Ti Sung, a political scientist at Australian National University, Dawn reported.
Trump seeks new nuclear deal including China
Following the expiration of the New START treaty, Trump turned down Moscow’s proposal to prolong the bilateral pact by another year, instead advocating for “a new, improved and modernized” agreement that encompasses China.
China has shown little interest in joining a nuclear pact given the massive disparity in warhead stockpiles. A senior U.S. official briefing reporters on the condition of anonymity said that the trilateral meeting is expected to serve as a start to nuclear talks, with no agreements expected to be announced.
“You sort of run counter to Chinese support of multilateralism,” said Hoo Tiang Boon, a professor of Chinese foreign policy at Nanyang Technological University.
Zelenskyy fears deals made without Ukraine
Comparisons to the 1945 Yalta Conference have arisen regarding the summit’s preparation, an event where officials partitioned Germany and Berlin into four military zones and completed preparations for the creation of the United Nations. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has voiced anxiety that the three-way gathering might be utilized to negotiate a settlement concerning Ukraine without Kyiv’s knowledge.
Rejecting the parallels drawn to Yalta, Kremlin representative Dmitry Peskov pointed out that any understandings achieved in Shenzhen cannot be imposed upon other parties.
“I think the key for Putin was that this was very much about signaling a desire to talk to the president and talk to Chairman Xi in a way that suggests that they’re making decisions on Ukraine, which obviously the Ukrainians and the Europeans don’t like,” said Edgard Kagan, formerly a U.S. ambassador to Malaysia who currently works at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.
Questions About the Shenzhen Summit
Who proposed the trilateral format for the APEC meeting?
Russian President Vladimir Putin proposed the trilateral side-summit with U.S. President Donald Trump and China’s Xi Jinping last month, according to The Diplomat.
What are the official dates for the APEC summit in Shenzhen?
The APEC summit takes place on November 18 and 19, Dawn reported.
How many warheads does China possess compared to the U.S. and Russia?
Pentagon estimates place China’s arsenal at more than 600 warheads, while the U.S. and Russia each hold more than 5,000 warheads, NBC News reported.