Trump says he expects to meet China's Xi in late September

U.S. President Donald Trump said he expects to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping around Sept. 24, a timeframe that would coincide with the annual high-level week of the United Nations General Assembly in New York.

Speaking during a White House event on July 6, Trump cited the potential visit while discussing plans to build a new White House ballroom, Caliber.Az reports per foreign media.

"For instance, President Xi is coming here toward the end of Sept. 24, I believe," Trump said. "What we need is a big ballroom; we could hold thousands of people to see him. Everyone wants to see him."

A visit to Washington around that date would overlap with the UN General Assembly, where Trump is scheduled to deliver his address on Sept. 22. The U.S. president typically spends several days in New York during the gathering to hold meetings with world leaders, while Xi has attended the annual event only once since taking office in 2012.

Although Trump has previously said he expected to host Xi in September, he had not publicly indicated a possible date for the meeting.

The two leaders last met in May during a summit in Beijing aimed at improving bilateral relations following heightened tensions linked to the Iran war.

While both sides have taken steps to strengthen ties and made some progress on trade, differences remain over several geopolitical issues, including the Middle East, Taiwan and U.S. tariff policy.

By Sabin Mammadli