Washington and Moscow are reportedly pushing for a three-way meeting, with Beijing yet to decide whether to proceed.
Efforts to bring the leaders of the United States, Russia and China together this month face uncertainty over Beijing's approval and the subjects they would address, the Financial Times reported.
Officials are exploring a meeting between Donald Trump, Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Shenzhen, according to people familiar with discussions in the three capitals.
The proposed gathering would be the first trilateral meeting between the leaders. One person briefed on the preparations told the newspaper that Washington and Moscow were urging China to agree, but the host country had not made a final decision.
Nuclear talks and Ukraine complicate the agenda
Trump has expressed willingness to attend a three-way summit, identifying nuclear arms control as a priority. Beijing, however, has repeatedly resisted negotiations with Washington on the issue, pointing to the much larger US nuclear arsenal.
The prospects for discussions on Ukraine are also limited.
German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier said Sunday that Xi had told him during their meeting in China the previous week that no trilateral talks on Ukraine were planned. According to Steinmeier, Xi argued that European countries should participate in discussions concerning a conflict in Europe.
Steinmeier also said Xi appeared puzzled when asked about the proposed summit and questioned where the reports had originated.
A person familiar with Moscow's position told the Financial Times that Russia did not anticipate detailed negotiations on Ukraine at the gathering. That source described Moscow's assessment as being that Beijing would avoid taking a leading role in negotiating an end to the war, while seeking recognition once an agreement appeared attainable.
Whether the war on Iran would feature in any discussions remains unknown.
Moscow acknowledges preparations
The Kremlin publicly confirmed that efforts to arrange the meeting were taking place.
"Work is under way on organizing such a meeting," Putin's spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told the FT.
China's response was narrower. Its Foreign Ministry said Beijing was "in communication with relevant parties regarding the meeting between the Chinese and Russian heads of state", without referring to Trump's participation.
Last month, the ministry said it had "no information to provide" about a potential trilateral summit. The FT said it had approached the White House for comment.
The format of the preparatory contacts also remains uncertain: officials may be communicating jointly, or China may be conducting separate discussions with the United States and Russia.
Summit would add to intensive diplomatic calendar
Trump's planned visit to Shenzhen in two weeks would include his third meeting with Xi this year. Before arriving in China, he is expected to attend the Association of Southeast Asian Nations summit in Manila.
A further Trump-Xi meeting is expected in December during the G20 gathering in Miami. Xi and Putin, meanwhile, have met more than 40 times, including at least three meetings this year, according to Chinese state media cited in the report.
Dennis Wilder, a former senior White House Asia advisor under George W. Bush, said hosting the three leaders could offer Xi a significant diplomatic opportunity.
"Xi would probably see hosting the trilateral meeting as a feather in his cap demonstrating his leading role on the international stage," Wilder said.
"Apec itself has very modest goals and is unlikely on its own to produce headliner results."
Source: The Financial
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