China, US and Russia Discuss a Three-Leader Meeting at the APEC Summit in Shenzhen
China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said it is in contact with the United States and Russia about a possible meeting of the three countries' leaders.
The meeting may take place on the sidelines (in side meetings outside the main programme) of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) leaders' summit in Shenzhen, China, on 18-19 November 2026.
Russia's presidential office said work is under way to organise such a meeting. A separate China-Russia bilateral (two-country) meeting at APEC is expected.
The US President is expected to travel to Shenzhen. This would be his third meeting with the Chinese President in 2026, after the Beijing state visit in May and the Chinese President's state visit to Washington in September.
A key item is the US-China trade truce (a pause in the tariff fight). It came from the October 2025 Busan meeting and was later extended by two months, from 10 November 2026 to 10 January 2027.
The two leaders are also expected to meet again at the Group of Twenty (G20) summit in Miami, United States, on 14-15 December 2026.
Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC): The Pacific Rim's Trade Forum
The Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation, or APEC, is a forum of 21 economies around the Pacific Ocean. Its members meet regularly to make trade and investment between them freer, easier and cheaper. APEC does not sign binding treaties. Instead, members make voluntary promises and help each other carry them out. India is not a member.
The planned China-US-Russia meeting is being arranged on the sidelines of the APEC summit that China hosts in Shenzhen. This shows a common pattern: APEC summits bring many big leaders to one place, so they become a venue for major side meetings, even though India is not at the table.
The US-China Trade War: Origins and Escalation
The US-China trade war is a long fight between the world's two biggest economies. It is fought with tariffs (import taxes), export bans and other trade weapons. It began in 2018, when the US put heavy tariffs on Chinese goods and China hit back. Since then it has moved in cycles of escalation followed by truces (temporary pauses).
The Shenzhen meeting comes as the trade truce is set to expire in January 2027. A longer extension or a wider deal is a key thing both sides want from the meeting, which is why the trade war is at the heart of this summit.
Group of Twenty (G20)
The G20 is a club of the world's biggest economies. Its leaders meet once a year to discuss the world economy, trade, money, climate and development. It has 21 members: 19 countries, the European Union and the African Union. India is a member and held the presidency in 2023.
The two leaders are expected to meet again at the G20 in Miami one month after Shenzhen. Reports suggest the US President's travel plans for APEC are linked to whether the Chinese President attends the G20, so the two summits are being planned together.
- APEC 2026 Leaders' Meeting: Shenzhen, China, 18-19 November 2026 (33rd meeting)
- APEC: 21 member economies, founded 1989 in Canberra; Secretariat in Singapore
- India is not an APEC member; it has been invited as an observer (first in 2011)
- US-China trade truce: from the Busan meeting, 30 October 2025; extended to 10 January 2027
- Busan truce: US fentanyl-linked tariff cut from 20% to 10%; China paused rare earth export controls for one year
- 2026 leader meetings: Beijing (May), Washington (September), Shenzhen (November, planned), Miami G20 (14-15 December, planned)
- G20: 21 members (19 countries + EU + AU); US presidency in 2026