After New START expired, Trump will meet China and Russia at first gathering of three on nuclear arms

A first meeting in Shenzhen

The White House said Trump will meet Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping on Thursday in Shenzhen. The meeting is scheduled alongside the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum and would be the first three-way gathering of its kind.

White House spokesperson Olivia Wales said Trump would discuss reducing nuclear weapons worldwide. She said he believes their proliferation is dangerous.

No deal expected

A senior US official told Reuters that Washington does not expect an agreement. The official described the issue as difficult for China and said the country should take part in serious discussions.

The official said Trump would also raise the US-Israeli war against Iran. Ukraine is not expected to come up, the official said.

China’s position on nuclear talks

China has long opposed nuclear talks with Washington, saying the United States and Russia hold larger arsenals and should negotiate directly. In October, China’s Foreign Ministry said it was not fair, reasonable or realistic to ask China to join trilateral disarmament negotiations at this stage.

Chinese state media have reported that Xi will hold bilateral talks at the summit but have not mentioned a three-way meeting. Moscow and Beijing have not commented on the White House announcement.

Arms limits and Trump’s trip

The New START treaty between the United States and Russia expired in February, ending major limits on the world’s largest nuclear arsenals. The Stockholm International Peace Research Institute says Russia has the most stored warheads, followed by the United States and China. Trump is due to leave Monday for a four-day trip to Asia, which includes a stop in the Philippines.