Trump, Xi and Putin to hold first three-way summit in China

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White House says Trump plans to discuss the Iran war and nuclear arms at a meeting on the sidelines of APEC next week.

Leaders of the United States, China and Russia are set to hold an unprecedented three-way meeting next week, the White House has said.

US President Donald Trump, Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian leader Vladimir Putin will meet on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Shenzhen, China’s tech hub, the White House assistant press secretary confirmed in an announcement.

The talks will be held nine months after the last nuclear arms treaty between Washington and Moscow expired, leaving the world’s two countries with the largest atomic arsenals without caps for the first time in more than 50 years.

Trump has said the meeting is a chance for all three countries to reach a deal on nuclear stockpiles.

The New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (New START) lapsed in February. Trump then rejected Russia’s proposal to extend it for another year and demanded a “new, improved and modernized” deal that includes China.

Expectations are low. “We do not expect to get to any kind of agreement,” a senior Trump administration official told the Reuters news agency, describing the meeting as the start of a conversation.

Russia holds the most nuclear warheads, followed by the US, then China, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute.

Trump plans on discussing the Iran war with Xi and Putin, but will steer away from discussing Russia’s war in Ukraine, according to a senior US official who briefed reporters on condition of anonymity.

Elon Musk will also travel with Trump to China but will not attend the meeting, the official added. Trump is also not expected to meet North Korean leader Kim Jong Un during the Asia trip.

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