China and the United States are in communication regarding interactions between President Xi Jinping and US President Donald Trump for the rest of the year, a spokesperson for the Chinese Foreign Ministry said Friday.

Spokesperson Guo Jiakun's remarks came after President Trump said earlier that he looked forward to hosting Xi in Washington, DC, during a private meeting with the Chinese president at Zhongnanhai in Beijing.

Head-of-state diplomacy plays an irreplaceable role in providing strategic guidance to China-US relations, Guo said.

Sound communication and interaction between the two presidents can steer China-US relations in a steady, sound and sustainable direction, he added.

Read more:

Xi, Trump have private meeting in Beijing

Trump wraps up China visit, leaves Beijing