Washington, November 2026 : US President Donald Trump plans to hold discussions on reducing nuclear weapons stockpiles with Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin during his upcoming visit to Asia. However, the White House does not expect the three-way meeting to produce an immediate agreement, US officials have said.
The proposed discussions will take place towards the conclusion of Trump's visit to China, White House Assistant Press Secretary Olivia Wales said during a briefing on the President's upcoming trip to the Philippines and China.
A senior US official described the proposed engagement as the beginning of a dialogue on reducing nuclear arsenals rather than formal negotiations aimed at securing an immediate agreement.
"We do not expect to get to any kind of agreement," the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity.
According to the official, Trump also intends to discuss Iran with Xi and Putin. However, the Ukraine conflict is not expected to feature in the discussions, as Washington's engagement with Moscow on the issue is being pursued separately.
No separate bilateral meeting between Trump and Putin has been scheduled, although the two leaders are expected to attend other events together.
Nuclear diplomacy alongside regional engagements
The nuclear weapons discussions form part of Trump's wider Asia itinerary, which combines strategic diplomacy, regional security engagements and efforts to strengthen existing trade arrangements.
Wales said Trump would leave Washington early Monday and arrive in Manila on Tuesday evening, local time. In the Philippines, he is scheduled to meet leaders of the Quad grouping comprising the United States, India, Japan and Australia. His programme will also include the signing of a trade agreement with Thailand and participation in a special US-ASEAN summit.
On Wednesday, Trump is scheduled to attend a state welcome ceremony, hold bilateral talks with the Philippine President and participate in a banquet.
He will subsequently travel to Shenzhen, China, for a dinner with Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) leaders. Meetings with APEC leaders, followed by bilateral discussions and a working lunch with Xi Jinping, are scheduled for Thursday.
US seeks progress on China trade commitments
Apart from nuclear diplomacy, trade relations between Washington and Beijing are expected to feature prominently during Trump's meeting with Xi.
A senior US official said discussions would focus primarily on implementing existing trade arrangements rather than announcing a fresh tariff agreement.
Officials from the US Trade Representative's office and the Treasury Department had met their Chinese counterparts through the Board of Trade earlier in the day. The discussions covered possible tariff adjustments and non-tariff barriers that could weaken the benefits of existing agreements.
Washington remains concerned about the pace and volume of Chinese shipments of rare earth minerals and related products, the official said. These concerns were among the reasons an arrangement known as the Busan agreement was extended by two months instead of six months.
Trump is expected to raise the issue directly with Xi during their bilateral meeting.
Any changes to US tariffs would require separate legal procedures, including compliance with statutory requirements and potentially a formal notice-and-comment process. Officials indicated that no announcement related to the Board of Trade was expected during the leaders' meeting.
US export controls remain a security priority
American officials also clarified that export controls imposed by Washington are national security measures and are not being negotiated with China.
Measures under consideration include extending licensing requirements to additional countries to address alleged semiconductor and chip smuggling, as well as examining restrictions on remote access to sensitive technologies. However, these proposals remain under review and have not been announced as policy changes.
Tesla and SpaceX chief executive Elon Musk is expected to accompany Trump during portions of his China visit. However, he will not participate in the bilateral meeting with Xi or the three-way discussions involving Xi and Putin, which will be restricted to government officials.
The White House said Trump's September meeting with Xi had advanced discussions on establishing bilateral boards of trade and investment.
APEC, meanwhile, provides a key platform for economic cooperation across the Asia-Pacific region. The Trump administration views the summit as an opportunity to expand markets for American exports and advance its priorities on trade, energy and economic growth.
The upcoming meetings will therefore test Washington's ability to pursue nuclear risk reduction while addressing trade disputes and broader strategic concerns with Beijing and Moscow.
(Disclaimer :The content of this article is sourced from a news agency and has not been edited by the Mavericknews30 team.)
