Trump, Xi and Putin to Meet at Trilateral Summit

White House Deputy Press Secretary Olivia Wales announced that US President Donald Trump will visit the Philippines and China early next week. Senior US officials answered reporters' questions regarding the details of the visits. Wales stated that Trump will hold a trilateral meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin on the sidelines of the APEC summit to be held in Shenzhen, China. She also shared that Trump will have a bilateral meeting with Xi on Thursday afternoon. Addressing the content of the talks, Wales said the President clearly stated that he would address, among other issues, the reduction of nuclear weapons in the world, the proliferation of which is extremely dangerous. A senior US official, speaking on condition of anonymity, emphasized that the Washington administration does not expect any agreement to emerge from these talks. "I would describe this as a starting point, the first meeting at the leaders' level among these countries," the official said. Noting that China has by far the fastest-growing nuclear arsenal in the world, the official said it is time for Beijing to sit at the adults' table. The official stated that Trump plans to address the Iran issue in his trilateral meeting with Xi and Putin, but that Ukraine is not on the agenda. At the White House briefing, it was noted that the outlines of Trump's planned visits to the Philippines and China include discussions focused on trade, investment and economic growth, as well as regional security issues. Trump is expected to attend the Quad leaders' meeting on peace, prosperity and security in the Indo-Pacific region in Manila, the capital of the Philippines, where he will make his first visit, and then conclude a trade agreement with Thailand. Additionally, Trump is scheduled to attend the US-ASEAN Special Summit and meet with regional leaders at a dinner. Senior officials reported that Trump, who will hold a meeting with Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos as part of the visit, is expected to sign trade agreements and strategic investments aimed at expanding markets in the aviation, defense, energy and technology sectors and supporting employment in the US. On the other hand, it was emphasized that during Trump's visit to China, the focus will be on US goals of promoting balanced trade, expanding export markets and advancing economic growth. Not investment advice.