Washington: Donald Trump has announced plans to visit China in April for talks with Xi Jinping, with the Chinese leader expected to make a return visit to the United States later in the year.

Speaking to reporters on Thursday, Mr Trump said he looked forward to the meeting and described current relations between the two countries as “very good”. However, he did not provide specific dates for either visit.

In a recent interview with NBC News journalist Tom Llamas, recorded on 4 February, Mr Trump confirmed he would travel to China in April, adding that President Xi would visit the White House towards the end of the year. He stressed the importance of maintaining strong ties between what he called the world’s two most powerful nations.

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The announcement follows a 90-minute telephone conversation between the two leaders on 4 February. Mr Trump said the discussion focused largely on trade and did not address other geopolitical issues such as Iran or Ukraine. Writing on Truth Social, he described the call as resulting in a “very positive conclusion for both countries”.

According to Mr Trump, President Xi extended an invitation for him and the First Lady to visit China, which he reciprocated.

China’s state news agency, Xinhua, reported that President Xi said he places great importance on China–US relations. He noted that the two leaders had maintained sound communication over the past year and referenced a previous meeting in Busan, which he said helped set the direction of bilateral ties.

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A statement from China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said President Xi called on both sides to pursue “win-win results in the spirit of equality” and urged Washington to remove what Beijing described as negative measures taken against China.