US-China contacts give new impetus to possible summit with Russia - Bloomberg Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi discussed the possibility of their leaders meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, another sign of preparations for the trilateral summit. Rubio and Wang Yi "overcame the importance of constructive leadership-level talks to advance goals such as peace and denuclearization, including through any potential tripartite meeting of leaders involved in Russia," the State Department said. The statement did not specify the date or place of the meeting. China's foreign ministry described the conversation as "positive and constructive" without mentioning a possible trilateral meeting. Trump and Putin have publicly expressed interest in participating in talks with Xi at the APEC summit. On Sunday, Trump said he believed he would meet with Xi and Putin to discuss "many issues," including denuclearization and ending the war with Iran. Beijing said last week it was in contact with Washington and Moscow for a meeting that would be unprecedented for nuclear powers. The tripartite summit will provide Putin with a prominent podium in his quest to break out of international isolation. Holding the talks will give Xi an opportunity to present China as a mediator between Washington and Moscow. For Trump, the attention of a historic summit with the leaders of China and Russia will be a timely distraction from the GOP's crushing defeat in the midterm elections.