US President Donald Trump will raise nuclear-arms reduction at a meeting in China next week with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping, the White House said on Friday. White House spokeswoman Olivia Wales said Trump believes the proliferation of nuclear weapons in the world is very dangerous, and that the meeting, scheduled for Thursday, would focus on reducing them.

The three leaders are expected to meet on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum in Shenzhen, a gathering that China is hosting with a focus on trade and commerce. Trump's insistence on nuclear arms has reportedly riled Beijing, which has repeatedly rebuffed attempts to discuss nuclear weapons with Russia and the United States, the two countries holding the largest stockpiles. Beijing has long argued that Russia and the US, with their large arsenals, should speak directly with each other.S1S2

A senior Trump administration official said the US does not expect to reach any agreement on the issue, describing it as difficult for China to address. The official said it was time for China to join the "adults' table" and begin productive conversations, adding that the meeting was a beginning rather than an endpoint. Russia holds the most stored nuclear warheads, followed by the United States and China, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute.S2

The New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty between the US and Russia expired this year, and it was not clear whether Russia or China intended to take part in arms-reduction talks with Trump. The Chinese and Russian embassies in Washington did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Trump is leaving on Monday for a four-day trip to Asia that also includes a stop in the Philippines.S2

The official said Trump will also raise the US-Israeli war against Iran at the meeting, but is not expected to raise Russia's war in Ukraine or hold a one-on-one meeting with Putin. Elon Musk is joining the trip to China but will not attend the meeting with Xi and Putin. Trump is also not expected to meet North Korean leader Kim Jong Un during the Asia visit.S2