The diplomatic world is waiting for an unprecedented trilateral meeting between US President Donald Trump, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese leader Xi Jinping.
The occasion for the possible talks at the highest level is the upcoming Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in China.
Moscow's position on the leadership meeting
The Russian Foreign Ministry and the Kremlin have officially admitted the possibility of contact between the three leaders. Presidential aide Yuri Ushakov told Russian state media that if Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin were to be in China at the same time, they would most likely "cross paths and hold some kind of meeting." However, such an event has not yet been officially agreed upon through diplomatic channels.
Russia's official representative to the APEC, Marat Berdiev, confirmed to foreign agencies that the Russian delegation would be led personally by Putin. This increases speculation about large-scale geopolitical maneuvers on Asian soil, as Trump has already expressed his intention to also attend the Shenzhen forum in November.
The US-Russia-China Diplomatic Triangle
The intrigue surrounding the summit has increased significantly after a series of intense diplomatic visits to Beijing earlier this year, when Xi Jinping received Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin in succession within a few days. NBC News emphasizes that while relations between Russia and China are at an “unprecedentedly high“, the White House is trying to balance the influence of Moscow and Beijing in the context of global security.
According to analyses published in The Diplomat, Donald Trump traditionally relies on trilateral diplomacy to resolve international conflicts. The ATIC meeting in Shenzhen, which will be held under the motto of building an open and innovative economy, is the ideal platform for the first direct negotiations in this format.