President Donald Trump has dropped a big hint that one of the most closely watched meetings in years could happen in China. Speaking to reporters in West Palm Beach, Florida, on November 8, he said he plans to attend the APEC summit in Shenzhen on November 18-19 and that he expects a meeting there with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping. He called the prospect "interesting" and said the leaders would talk about a lot of things, with denuclearization at the top of the list. Reports also say the conversation could touch on efforts to end the war in Iran.

The remarks follow October reports that Putin floated a three-way meeting, and Trump said he was open to trilateral arms control talks focused on reducing nuclear weapons. Since then, the United States, Russia and China have reportedly been discussing the idea, and Beijing says it is in contact with both Washington and Moscow about a possible sit-down. Nothing has been formally confirmed, though, and Trump's own words suggest he expects the meeting rather than has it locked in. A face-to-face among the leaders of three nuclear powers would be unprecedented, which leaves big questions hanging. Will all three leaders actually show up, what would any deal on nuclear weapons look like, and will wars like Ukraine and Iran make it onto the table? It also shows Trump's preference for dealing directly with major powers at big international gatherings like APEC, with China hosting this year.