US and China Say Leader Talks Matter, but Beijing Stays Silent on Nuclear Weapons

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A Call Ahead of a Major Summit

On Wednesday, Rubio and Wang spoke by phone to prepare for President Donald Trump's trip to China. Trump is due to attend the APEC summit (the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum) in Shenzhen on November 18–19. The call also covered Chinese leader Xi Jinping's planned visit to Florida for the G20 summit next month.

The US State Department said the two diplomats agreed that "meaningful" conversations between leaders can help advance goals such as peace and denuclearization. That includes any three-way meeting with Russia. China's state news agency Xinhua described the call as positive and constructive and said Beijing wants closer communication with Washington.

The two accounts differ in one important way. The Chinese version did not mention denuclearization or a meeting with Russia.

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A Possible Three-Way Meeting

Trump has said he expects to meet both Xi and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Shenzhen. He wants to discuss ending the war in Iran and reducing nuclear weapons. Rubio told reporters this week that work is underway to arrange such a meeting on the sidelines of the summit.

Trump has pursued the idea for some time. He first pushed for denuclearization talks early in his second term, and he said in October that he was open to three-way arms control talks. The Wall Street Journal has reported that Putin wants to use a three-way meeting to discuss ending the war in Ukraine.

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Why Beijing Resists

China has turned down the idea of trilateral nuclear talks several times. Its foreign ministry said last month that its nuclear forces are nowhere near the level of those of the US and Russia. It called it unfair and unrealistic to expect China to join such negotiations at this stage.

Beijing has pointed to the size of its arsenal as a reason to stay out. The Pentagon estimated China's stockpile at just over 600 warheads in 2024 and expects more than 1,000 by 2030. The US and Russia still hold far larger arsenals.

Arms control experts note that China has instead proposed that nuclear-armed states agree not to use nuclear weapons first. They also point out that Beijing has been expanding its strategic forces while refusing transparency about them. The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) shows little willingness to accept outside limits on its military buildup.

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Relations Are Calmer, but Differences Remain

Trump and Xi have met twice this year, and those meetings appear to have steadied relations. They have done little to close the gaps between the two rivals. In September, the leaders agreed to extend a trade truce by two months, but disputes over tariffs, Chinese purchases of American goods, rare earth exports and technology controls remain unresolved.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said this week that the two sides will advance a new dialogue on artificial intelligence. He also warned against illusions about the differences between the countries as they compete for leadership in the technology.

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What to Watch Next

The Shenzhen summit will show whether the American push for nuclear talks gets any traction in Beijing. Trump has made clear that he wants to put the topic on the table. The Chinese side has so far framed the relationship mainly in terms of stability and economic interests.

The outcome will depend on whether Xi agrees to anything concrete beyond friendly language. A meeting with Putin would add a third set of interests, including the war in Ukraine. For now, the diplomatic signals from Washington and Beijing point in different directions.

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Sources

1. Reuters: "US says China agreed importance of leader-level talks to advance denuclearization," Nov 11, 2026: https://www.reuters.com/world/china/chinas-foreign-minister-says-call-with-rubio-was-positive-constructive-2026-11-11/
2. Reuters via Jefferson City News-Tribune: "Trump thinks he will meet Xi and Putin at China APEC summit," Nov 9, 2026: https://www.newstribune.com/news/2026/nov/09/trump-thinks-he-will-meet-xi-and-putin-at-china-apec-summit/
3. Reuters via WHBL: "China's foreign minister holds call with US Rubio, China's state media reports," Nov 11, 2026: https://whbl.com/2026/11/11/chinas-foreign-minister-holds-call-with-us-rubio-chinas-state-media-reports/
4. Arms Control Association, Arms Control Today: "Trump, Xi, Putin Failing to Tackle the Nuclear Threat," Oct 2026: https://www.armscontrol.org/act/2026-10/focus/trump-xi-putin-failing-tackle-nuclear-threat
5. South China Morning Post: "Can the US, Russia and China break their nuclear talks impasse?": https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3326243/can-us-russia-and-china-break-their-nuclear-talks-impasse
6. Washington Examiner: "China dismisses Trump hopes of trilateral denuclearization talks with Russia": https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/?p=3784435

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