Leaders from countries such as China, the US and Russia are expected to attend the high-level meeting on 18 and 19 November
APEC 2026 Shenzhen: Here’s what you need to know
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Leaders from 21 Asia-Pacific economies are set to gather in Shenzhen for the 2026 Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit, scheduled to take place on 18 and 19 November 2026.
Among the representatives attending the two-day long 33rd APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting is Chinese President Xi Jinping, who will preside as host.
US President Donald Trump also confirmed in September 2026 that he would be visiting China, joining Russian President Vladimir Putin whose participation was acknowledged by Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in October 2026.
Xi, Trump, Putin: a potential trilateral meeting in Shenzhen
The APEC 2026 Shenzhen summit is centred around the theme of “Building an Asia-Pacific Community to Prosper Together” and will see the delegates discuss matters pertaining to regional trade and the economy, with a focus on openness, innovation and cooperation.
Observers, however, have been paying close attention to a possible three-way meeting between Xi, Trump and Putin on the sidelines of the summit, although there was no official confirmation as to whether or not it would go ahead, as of writing.
[See more: Xi and Putin to meet in Shenzhen as Trump trilateral discussed]
US President Trump, however, ignited hopes of trilateral talks on 8 November when he told reporters that “one of the meetings, I think, will be with President Putin and President Xi.”
He described the potential meeting as “interesting,” noting that he and the two other leaders would discuss a large number of topics, including denuclearisation.
According to unnamed sources cited by the South China Morning Post (SCMP), Beijing, Washington and the Kremlin have been holding discussions lasting many weeks to flesh out the agenda and guidelines for possible talks between the three nations.
The sources told the SCMP that the topics of discussion were pivoting towards areas where the three parties could reach an agreement, including the use of AI in nuclear command and control systems. By contrast, more contentious issues such as the Russia-Ukraine war and denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula have fallen by the wayside.
Putin and Xi to meet one-on-one in Shenzhen
While it remains to be seen whether the three party talks will go ahead, a two-way meeting between Xi and Putin was confirmed by Russian spokesperson Dmitry Peskov on 2 November.
Peskov noted that the scheduled talks would revolve around bilateral relations, with the leaders also exchanging views on ongoing international issues.
On the American side, there has been no official confirmation that a one-on-one meeting between Trump and Xi will take place. However, the US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said on 11 November that the following week, he would accompany the US President to Shenzhen, “where the two leaders will meet before a fourth encounter in Miami.”
Ahead of the APEC 2026 Shenzhen summit, China notably announced on 9 November that it was extending the deadline for its suspension of 24 percent tariffs against US imports until 10 January 2027 and would continue to pause export controls against 16 US companies for two months.
Potential impact of Jensen Huang scandal on talks
Another issue looming large over the APEC 2026 Shenzhen meeting and possible talks between China and the US is the scandal involving US chipmaker Nvidia’s CEO Jensen Huang, who on 8 November 2026 emailed staff to admit infidelity and to address national security concerns raised by the media. Citing US intelligence, those news reports alleged that the woman with whom Huang was having an affair was a Chinese spy.
Experts remain divided over whether or not the scandal will affect the summit, with George Chen, a partner and chair of digital practice at the Asia Group, pointing out in a Substack post that “it has the potential to deepen mistrust between the US and China at a sensitive moment in bilateral relations.”
By contrast, Georgetown University research fellow, Sam Bresnick, said in comments cited by the South China Morning Post, “I really don’t see this as having a huge impact on the summit.”
Regardless, anonymous sources told the Post that in light of the recent allegations, it seems unlikely that Huang will be joining Trump in Shenzhen.
How is Shenzhen preparing for APEC 2026 Shenzhen?
In the lead up to the summit, Shenzhen has been actively implementing a range of measures to ensure the event runs smoothly.
Local authorities have been encouraging local residents to avoid driving their private vehicles while the event is running, in order to reduce congestion. As of 30 October 2026, over 1 million Shenzhen residents had pledged to refrain from driving, with the Shenzhen government offering various prizes and incentives.
Similarly, the city has temporarily banned the flying of unapproved drones across much of the city until 21 November 2026, and introduced a new law on 1 September 2026 to improve the readability of bilingual Chinese-English signs.
Shenzhen’s hosting of the APEC Summit marks the third time China has organised the event, with Shanghai and Beijing previously serving as host cities in 2001 and 2014.
Where can I find more information about Shenzhen’s APEC summit?
For more information about the APEC 2026 Shenzhen summit, visit the event’s website.
