TMTPOST -- U.S. president elect Donald Trump was reported at weekend to express his intention to travel to China in the first months of his presidency.

Credit：Xinhua News Agency

Trump has told his advisors he wants to visit China in his first 100 days in office, the Wall Street Journal reported on Saturday, citing people familiar with the matter. Trump’s aides cautioned no decision has been made for his traveling to China, the report said, adding his last trip to China in 2017 took place nearly a year into his first presidential term.

It was reported that Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping, through their representatives, have discussed meeting in person, with one option involving the incoming American president inviting the Chinese leader to the U.S.

The report came ahead of Trump’s inauguration. Trump is set to be sworn in for a second term on Monday. A Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson announced Friday that at U.S. invitation, President Xi's special representative, Vice President Han Zheng will attend the inauguration ceremony of President Trump on Monday in Washington, DC.

While dispatching a special envoy to attend a foreign president's inauguration is in line with China's diplomatic practice, a vice president is the highest level special envoy to attend an inauguration, Diao Daming, a professor at the School of International Studies, Renmin University of China, told the state-backed newspaper the Global Times.

Trump said on Friday held  a “very good” phone call with Xi and exchanged view about hot topics including trade and TikTok. It’s unclear whether Trump raised a visit to China in the conversation with Xi.

"I just spoke to Chairman Xi Jinping of China. The call was a very good one for both China and the U.S.A. It is my expectation that we will solve many problems together, and starting immediately," Trump wrote in a post to his Truth Social platform. "We discussed balancing Trade, Fentanyl, TikTok, and many other subjects. President Xi and I will do everything possible to make the World more peaceful and safe!"

During the telephone conversation, Xi pointed out that both he and Trump attach great importance to interaction with each other, hope that China-U.S. ties will have a good start in the new U.S. presidential term, and stand ready to push China-U.S. relations to make greater progress from a new starting point, reported China’s state news agency Xinhua on Friday.

Xi said that it is inevitable that China and the United States, two major countries with different national conditions, have some differences, and the key is to respect each other's core interests and major concerns, and find appropriate ways to solve issues, according to the report.

Xi called for the U.S. government to handle the Taiwan question with caution as it concerns China's national sovereignty and territorial integrity. He said the nature of China-U.S. economic and trade relations is mutually beneficial and win-win, and confrontation and conflict should not be the choice of the two countries.

Xi also called on both sides to step up cooperation and do more great, practical and good things that are conducive to the two countries and the world at large based on the principles of mutual respect, peaceful coexistence and win-win cooperation, so as to keep the two giant ships of China and the United States moving forward on the course of stable, healthy and sustainable development.

Trump said he cherishes his great relationship with Xi, hopes to continue to maintain dialogue and communication, and looks forward to meeting Xi at an early date, according to the Xinhua report. Trump also said China and U.S. should maintain long-lasting friendship and work together to safeguard global peace, per the report.