London, July 19, 2025 — Former U.S. President Donald Trump may meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping in September during a military parade in Beijing commemorating the 80th anniversary of the Allied victory over Imperial Japan, The Times reports.
China has officially announced a major military parade to mark the event, while the Kremlin has confirmed Putin’s attendance. During World War II, the Soviet Union, China, and the United States were allies in the fight against Japan—an alliance that Chinese analysts suggest could be symbolically revived with a trilateral summit.
Chinese public opinion and experts have openly encouraged President Xi to use the occasion to invite Trump and facilitate a meeting between the three global powers. “Why not align Trump’s visit with the September 3rd commemoration?” said Jin Canrong, a professor at China’s Renmin University, quoted by Guancha last month. “If the leaders of China, the U.S., and Russia stood together during the parade, it would send a powerful positive signal to the world.”
According to The Times, Beijing has done little to dampen speculation and did not deny a Kyodo News report from last month claiming an invitation to Trump had already been decided.
The potential summit comes amid worsening relations between Washington, Moscow, and Beijing. U.S.-Russia tensions have been driven by the war in Ukraine, while U.S.-China relations have suffered due to cyberwarfare allegations and escalating trade conflicts.
Since beginning his second term in January, Trump has sought to thaw U.S.-Russia relations and broker a resolution in Ukraine. However, earlier this week he voiced frustration with the pace of talks and threatened 100% secondary tariffs on Russia’s trading partners if hostilities are not resolved within 50 days.
At the same time, Trump has reignited a trade war with China, rattling global markets earlier this year with steep tariffs: 145% on Chinese imports from the U.S. and retaliatory 125% duties by Beijing. Tensions eased somewhat last month after a trade agreement in which China loosened restrictions on rare earth mineral exports.
If realized, the Beijing summit could serve as a rare diplomatic convergence between three superpowers locked in geopolitical rivalry, with global implications for peace, economic stability, and future alliances.
