Washington, Nov 14 (IANS) US President Donald Trump plans to discuss reducing nuclear weapons with the leaders of China and Russia during an Asia visit next week, but US officials do not expect the three-way meeting to produce an agreement.
The meeting will conclude Trump’s visit to China, White House Assistant Press Secretary Olivia Wales said during a briefing on his planned trip to the Philippines and China.
A senior US official described the planned talks as the beginning of a conversation about reducing nuclear arsenals, rather than negotiations expected to yield an immediate pact.
“We do not expect to get to any kind of agreement,” the official said on condition of anonymity.
Trump intends to discuss Iran during the meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin, but Ukraine is not expected to be on the agenda, the official said. Discussions with Russia about Ukraine are proceeding separately.
No bilateral meeting between Trump and Putin is scheduled, although they will attend other events together, the official added.
The nuclear discussions form part of an itinerary combining regional diplomacy with efforts to implement existing trade arrangements. Wales said Trump would leave Washington early Monday and arrive in Manila on Tuesday evening, local time.
In the Philippines, he is scheduled to meet Quad leaders, sign a trade deal with Thailand and attend a US-ASEAN special summit. A state welcome ceremony, a bilateral meeting with the Philippine president and a banquet are planned for Wednesday.
Trump will then travel to Shenzhen for an APEC leaders’ dinner. Meetings with APEC leaders and a bilateral meeting and working lunch with Xi are scheduled for Thursday, Wales said.
On trade, a senior US official said discussions with China would focus on implementing existing arrangements rather than announcing a new tariff agreement.
The official said US Trade Representative and Treasury officials had met Chinese counterparts through the Board of Trade earlier that day. Their discussions covered potential tariff changes and non-tariff barriers that could undermine the value of an agreement.
Washington remains dissatisfied with the pace and volume of Chinese shipments of rare earths and related products, the official said. That concern was part of the reason an arrangement referred to as the Busan agreement received a two-month extension rather than six months.
Trump is expected to raise the issue with Xi, the official said.
Any tariff changes would require separate legal procedures, including consideration of US statutory requirements and a possible notice-and-comment period, the official said. No announcement connected to the Board of Trade was expected during the leaders’ meeting.
US officials also said American export controls were national security matters and were not being negotiated with China. Measures under consideration included extending licensing requirements to other countries to address alleged chip smuggling and examining restrictions on remote access.
Those measures remain under consideration, rather than announced policy changes.
Elon Musk is expected to accompany Trump for portions of the China visit, an official said, but will not participate in the bilateral meeting with Xi or the three-way talks with Xi and Putin. Those meetings will involve officials only.
The White House said the September meeting between Trump and Xi advanced work on bilateral boards of trade and investment.
APEC provides a forum for economic engagement across the Asia-Pacific. Wales said the administration sees its meetings as an opportunity to expand markets for American exports and advance its trade, energy and growth priorities.
–IANS
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