Trump to meet Quad leaders in Manila before Xi talks at APEC
Synopsis
Trump's Asia itinerary places the Quad front and centre — with a Manila summit alongside India, Japan, and Australia — before he heads to China for bilateral talks with Xi and a three-way nuclear discussion involving Putin. The sequence is deliberate: Indo-Pacific solidarity signalled before Beijing engagement.
Key Takeaways
Donald Trump will meet Quad leaders from India , Japan , and Australia in Manila during his upcoming Asia tour.
White House confirmed the meeting on 14 November 2026 ; no specific agreements were announced.
No separate Modi-Trump bilateral was listed on the White House schedule.
Trump will then travel to Shenzhen for a bilateral with Xi Jinping at APEC , with a three-way meeting involving Putin also planned — though no agreement is expected.
Quad foreign ministers met in Atlanta on 31 October , with the US pledging $10 million for critical minerals recovery in India and ASEAN countries.
US President Donald Trump will hold a multilateral meeting with the leaders of the Quad — comprising India, Japan, Australia, and the United States — in Manila during his upcoming Asia tour, the White House confirmed on 14 November 2026. The visit places the Indo-Pacific grouping prominently on an itinerary that will also take Trump to China for high-stakes talks with President Xi Jinping.
What the White House Said
White House Assistant Press Secretary Olivia Wales outlined the Quad meeting in a pre-trip briefing to reporters. 'In Manila, the President will participate in a multilateral meeting with Quad leaders to discuss shared interests of peace, prosperity, and security in the Indo-Pacific region,' Wales said. She described the Quad as a 'partnership of action' that is addressing regional challenges and creating opportunities for a free and open Indo-Pacific.
The White House did not announce specific agreements expected from the Quad discussions, nor did it confirm a separate bilateral meeting between Trump and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Trump's Manila Schedule
Trump is scheduled to depart Washington early Monday local time and arrive in Manila on Tuesday evening. The Quad meeting is listed at the top of an action-packed itinerary that also includes a trade agreement signing with Thailand, a US-ASEAN special summit, and a dinner with regional leaders. On Wednesday, Trump is scheduled to attend a welcome ceremony at the Philippine presidential palace, followed by bilateral talks and a lunch banquet. Wales indicated the Manila leg would feature commercial deals and strategic investments in American aviation, defence, energy, and technology sectors.
APEC and the Xi Meeting
From Manila, Trump will travel to Shenzhen for an Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) leaders' dinner. A bilateral meeting and working lunch with Chinese President Xi Jinping are scheduled for Thursday. Trump is also expected to hold a three-way discussion with Xi and Russian President Vladimir Putin that will include the subject of nuclear weapons. A senior US official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the administration did not expect that trilateral session to produce a formal agreement.
Quad's Recent Momentum
The Manila meeting builds on a recent Quad foreign ministers' gathering in Atlanta on 31 October, where a joint statement welcomed a US commitment of $10 million to support infrastructure and facilities recovering critical minerals from waste in India and ASEAN countries. The Quad's core agenda spans maritime security, critical minerals, energy cooperation, and disaster response — issues that have gained urgency as strategic competition in the Indo-Pacific intensifies. Notably, the grouping has steadily elevated its meeting formats, from foreign-minister consultations to leader-level engagements, signalling increasing institutional weight.
What to Watch
The absence of a confirmed Modi-Trump bilateral on the White House schedule will be closely watched by New Delhi. With the Quad meeting preceding Trump's China leg, analysts will assess whether any joint Indo-Pacific messaging from Manila shapes — or is shaped by — what emerges from the Shenzhen and APEC sessions. The next major signal will come from the official readouts following the Quad summit itself.
Point of View
Which raises the question of whether the Quad is consolidating or plateauing. The $10 million critical minerals pledge from Atlanta — modest by any measure — suggests the grouping's operational ambition still runs behind its geopolitical symbolism.
NationPress
14 Nov 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Where will Trump meet Quad leaders?
Trump will meet the leaders of India, Japan, and Australia — the other three Quad members — in Manila during his visit to the Philippines. The White House confirmed the multilateral meeting in a pre-trip briefing on 14 November 2026.
Will Trump hold a separate meeting with PM Modi?
The White House did not announce a separate bilateral meeting between Trump and Prime Minister Narendra Modi in its pre-trip briefing. Modi is expected to participate in the Quad multilateral session in Manila.
What is the Quad and why does the Manila meeting matter?
The Quad is a strategic grouping of the United States, India, Japan, and Australia focused on maritime security, critical minerals, energy, and disaster response in the Indo-Pacific. The Manila summit is significant because it precedes Trump's bilateral with Chinese President Xi Jinping at APEC, framing Indo-Pacific solidarity ahead of US-China talks.
What else is on Trump's Asia itinerary?
After the Quad meeting in Manila, Trump will attend a US-ASEAN special summit, sign a trade agreement with Thailand, and hold bilateral talks with Philippine leaders. He will then travel to Shenzhen for the APEC leaders' dinner and meetings with Xi Jinping and, reportedly, a three-way discussion with Xi and Russian President Vladimir Putin on nuclear weapons.
What did the Quad foreign ministers agree on recently?
Quad foreign ministers met in Atlanta on 31 October and issued a joint statement welcoming a US commitment of $10 million to support infrastructure recovering critical minerals from waste in India and ASEAN countries. The ministers also reaffirmed the grouping's core agenda of maritime security and a free and open Indo-Pacific.
