China, US consider raising denuclearisation in possible trilateral talks with Russia

Detailed summary

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi say leader-level talks could advance peace and nuclear disarmament.

Top US and Chinese diplomats have discussed the possibility of Presidents Donald Trump and Xi Jinping addressing denuclearisation during a potential trilateral meeting with Russia, the US State Department said.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi spoke by phone ahead of the November 18-19 Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in the Chinese technology hub of Shenzhen, both countries said.

Trump, Xi and Russian President Vladimir Putin could also hold a trilateral meeting on the sidelines of the summit, after officials from all three countries confirmed discussions about such talks.

Rubio and Wang "agreed on the importance of meaningful leader-level conversations to advance goals such as peace and denuclearization, including at any potential trilateral leaders meeting with Russia," the US State Department said on Wednesday.

Trump has said he wants to discuss denuclearisation with Xi and Putin, although Beijing has not confirmed whether nuclear arms control would feature on a trilateral agenda.

Washington has previously said it wants China to join a nuclear arms control agreement following the expiry of a bilateral treaty with Moscow in February.

Beijing declined to join disarmament negotiations at the time, arguing that its nuclear capabilities were on a different scale from those of Russia and the US.

Wang told Rubio that China was "willing to strengthen communication and cooperation with the US", according to a Chinese Foreign Ministry statement.

Beijing was ready to "properly handle differences and sensitive issues" with Washington, Wang said, adding that "stability" in bilateral relations had been "hard won".

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