China has not confirmed a Xi-Putin-Trump meeting ahead of the Shenzhen APEC summit

Quad summit and Takaichi's travel

Japan's government said on Friday, 13 November 2026, that Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi will represent Japan at a Quad leaders' summit in the Philippines on Tuesday, 17 November. The Quad groups Japan, the United States, Australia and India. The leaders are expected to discuss regional developments, including China's intensifying military and economic coercion. Takaichi is due in the Philippines and China from Monday, 16 November through Thursday, 19 November. In Manila she is set to attend meetings linked to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, and she hopes to hold a bilateral meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump. In China she will take part in the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit, where the key question is whether she can open a dialogue with Chinese President Xi Jinping amid deteriorating bilateral ties.

A possible three-way meeting in Shenzhen

Speculation about a meeting of Xi, Putin and Trump is building around the APEC summit in Shenzhen, where the leaders' meeting is set for 18 and 19 November. As of Friday, 13 November, Beijing had not confirmed a date. China's foreign ministry said only that it was in talks with the parties concerned and could give no information on an agenda. The Kremlin reported ongoing coordination work on the idea, which Putin first floated during an October phone call with Trump. Trump said he was optimistic and confident he could meet both leaders, and when asked he named Iran and denuclearization as possible topics without mentioning Russia's war in Ukraine. The Wall Street Journal reported that Putin wants to use the meeting to talk about ending his war in Ukraine, and the trio is already being called a 'new Yalta', a comparison to the wartime conference at Yalta.

Dispute over the format

According to the Wall Street Journal, Beijing wants a version with minimal room for discussion, in which each leader simply reads a statement. Washington instead favours a looser format with an exchange of views, and the two sides are still disputing the design. Deutsche Welle reports that China is careful to avoid the impression of deeper involvement in the war in Ukraine. Xi last visited the White House in September, and Putin met Trump in Alaska in 2025. Trump has repeatedly received both leaders with a red-carpet welcome during his second term, yet a three-way photo opportunity would place him beside the leaders of the countries that seek to change the balance of US dominance in global affairs.

Shenzhen and the APEC format

APEC began in 1989 as an informal dialogue of 12 members in Canberra and now brings together 21 member economies. Together they account for about 62 per cent of global GDP and roughly half of global trade. Membership is granted to economies rather than nations, which lets Hong Kong and Taiwan take part, while India is not a member. APEC works through non-binding commitments reached strictly by consensus. China is hosting the summit for the third time, after Shanghai in 2001 and Beijing in 2014. Chim Lee, a senior analyst at the Economist Intelligence Unit, said the choice of Shenzhen reflects both domestic and international reasons, and the city is home to BYD, Huawei and Tencent.

1989 founding dialogue12

2026 Shenzhen summit21

1989 founding dialogue

12 members

2026 Shenzhen summit

21 members

Data from the article text

Expected attendance and open questions

China says Xi Jinping will chair the leaders' meeting and deliver remarks. Trump, Putin and Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. are among those expected, along with the leaders of Canada, Australia, Mexico and Indonesia, and of Malaysia, South Korea and Vietnam. Taiwan has designated Stan Shih, founder of Acer, as its envoy. Tokyo had not formally said whether Takaichi would attend the APEC leaders' meeting itself, even though Japan's government has outlined her China visit. New Zealand had not officially confirmed its attendance, and a CEO summit runs on 17 and 18 November ahead of the leaders' meeting.