Trump-Xi-Putin summit: Beijing and Washington split over nuclear issue
By the AFREEQUE newsroom, based on La Nouvelle Tribune
Washington and Beijing are struggling to agree on the format and content of a three-way meeting proposed by Vladimir Putin, due to take place in Shenzhen on 18 and 19 November on the sidelines of APEC. Nuclear arms are at the heart of the dispute, with Beijing refusing to discuss the subject, according to the Wall Street Journal.
Washington and Beijing are failing to agree on the format and content of a three-way summit proposed by Vladimir Putin, which is due to take place on the sidelines of APEC, the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum, in Shenzhen on 18 and 19 November. The disagreement concerns the organisation of the meeting and the subjects to be discussed, according to the Wall Street Journal, which cites sources close to the matter.
Nuclear weapons are at the heart of the dispute. Donald Trump has for months called for discussions on arms control among the three powers, while Beijing refuses to take part: "Beijing will not agree to participate in such a meeting", a Chinese official said. According to the newspaper, China fears that such negotiations would confirm its status as the weaker partner, a result Xi Jinping considers unacceptable.
Beijing wants a tightly structured summit, at which each leader would read a prepared statement, and says it is ready to discuss Ukraine within that framework. The Trump administration favours a looser format allowing free exchanges. Donald Trump said he was open to the meeting, "not so much for Ukraine", but to discuss nuclear weapons and disarmament. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov confirmed that discussions were under way.
This meeting follows Donald Trump’s announcement of a one-on-one meeting with Xi and Putin in China, a project revived during the call between Putin and Trump on 9 October, according to the Journal.
