While US President Donald Trump has said he is open to sitting down with Chinese and Russian counterparts Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin at the Apec summit, it remains far from certain that the three leaders will actually meet in a few weeks.
Observers said much would depend on whether the countries could agree on an agenda, with one expert describing this as a “critical lever”.
Russia was set to gain most if the trilateral meeting took place, experts said, as the summit would be a potent symbol that the country’s international isolation was ending and of its great-power status. While Trump would get to show he could deal with the other powers, this could unsettle US allies.
Speculation has been building over whether the three leaders, who are all expected to attend the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in the Chinese city of Shenzhen, will hold an unprecedented sit-down on the sidelines.