Putin's Close Aide Visits China Ahead of APEC; Possibility of US-China-Russia Summit Discussed

As the possibility of a trilateral summit among the United States, China, and Russia is being discussed during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit to be held in China next month, attention is drawing as a Russian official visits China.

A spokesperson for the Chinese Foreign Ministry announced today (October 8) that Nikolai Patrushev, Assistant to the Russian President and Chairman of the Maritime Board, is scheduled to visit China from October 8 to 13, local time, to hold talks with Wang Yi, Chinese Communist Party Politburo Member and Foreign Minister.

Patrushev is a close aide to Russian President Vladimir Putin, having served as the Secretary of the Security Council of Russia for 16 years before moving to the position of Presidential Assistant in 2024.

Chinese state media Global Times reported that since President Putin is scheduled to attend the APEC summit to be held in Shenzhen, Guangdong Province, next month, Patrushev is likely to coordinate positions and engage in deep communication with the Chinese side ahead of the event.

Wang Xiaoquan, a research fellow at the Institute of Russian, Eastern European and Central Asian Studies at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, noted, "China and Russia are active advocates for the democratization of international relations and a multipolar world," adding, "Through deepening strategic coordination, we can contribute more public goods conducive to world peace and stability."

Meanwhile, the possibility of a US-China-Russia trilateral summit during this APEC summit has been steadily raised, centering around the Russian side.

According to Russia's Interfax news agency, President Putin said at an event on October 1, "I know that the possibility of a trilateral meeting [between the US, China, and Russia] is being discussed in the media," adding, "We are fully in favor."

He continued, "(A trilateral meeting during APEC) will depend largely on the host country, China, but meetings are always beneficial as they allow for an exchange of views and clarification of positions," and stated, "The most important thing is to identify the issues that will form the basis of the trilateral summit. We need to define the agenda for this negotiation process."

Yuri Ushakov, Aide to the Russian President for Foreign Policy, said in an interview last month, "It is likely that President Xi will take steps to hold a trilateral meeting," adding, "If the three leaders gather, I think it is natural for them to hold talks."

According to TASS news agency, Ushakov said on October 6 that while the idea of holding a US-China-Russia trilateral summit is "interesting," there have been no working-level consultations for it so far.

He stated that the trilateral summit depends on U.S. President Donald Trump's attendance at APEC, saying, "If President Trump confirms his attendance—though there is still no 100% confirmation—the possibility of holding a trilateral meeting depends on that. Of course, the initiator will be the host country."

Previously, the US and Chinese leaders confirmed their intentions during a bilateral summit on September 24 to mutually attend the APEC summit in China in November and the Group of 20 (G20) summit to be held in the US in December.

Regarding the possibility of a US-China-Russia summit, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said on October 3, "As the host of APEC this year, China wants to make new contributions to promoting economic growth in the Asia-Pacific and the world," while adding, "Regarding the question raised, I have no information to provide."

In addition, Wang Xiaoquan anticipated that considering Patrushev serves as Russia's Maritime Board Chairman, the issue of developing the Arctic shipping route between China and Russia may also be discussed during this visit to China.
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.