"He will be coming [to the US] in the not too distant future," President Trump told reporters as he visited the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington DC while talking about Xi Jinping, according to AFP. Trump did not give any further details.

There is no word yet on a response from China. Xi Jinping last visited the US in November 2023, when he met with then-US President Joe Biden in California in an effort to ease rising tensions between the two countries.

Last week, The Wall Street Journal reported that Washington and Beijing had begun discussions about a summit that could take place in June in the US. Both leaders celebrate their birthdays in June, according to AFP.

Since returning to the White House in January, Mr. Trump has imposed tariffs on major U.S. trading partners China, Canada and Mexico, citing trade imbalances and their failure to stem the flow of fentanyl into the United States.

This month, Mr. Trump increased the general 10% tariff he had previously imposed on Chinese products to 20%.

Beijing has responded by imposing tariffs of up to 15% on a range of US agricultural products, including soybeans, pork and chicken. China, the world's top steel producer, has also vowed to take "all necessary measures" in response to new US tariffs on steel and aluminum, according to AFP.