Chinese President Xi Jinping will make a state visit to the United States in September, after accepting the invitation of President Donald Trump, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi says.
Wang said both sides must work together to prepare thoroughly to create a favourable environment for the visit, state media reported.
The foreign minister said the relationship between China and the United States "is the most important and complex in the world" and he stressed that diplomacy between the leaders was the "guiding star" of the relationship.
He also noted during talks between Xi and Trump in Beijing on Friday, both presidents agreed to maintain close contact via meetings, phone calls and correspondence.
At a state banquet in Beijing, Trump raised a toast to his Chinese host and extended an invitation for Xi to visit the White House with his wife, Peng Liyuan on September 24.
The two leaders also agreed, according to state media, to support each other in the organisation of the informal meeting of Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) leaders, scheduled for November 18 and 19 in Shenzhen, and at the G20 summit on December 14 and 15 in Miami.
The US state visit will be the first by a Chinese leader in more than a decade. In September 2015, Xi was received by then-president Barack Obama before returning to Washington six months to attend the Nuclear Security Summit.
with DPA
