President Donald Trump on Tuesday said a trip to China might be “not too distant,” raising prospects that the leaders of the world's two largest economies may meet soon to help reset relations after moving to climb down from a trade war.

EU leaders Ursula von der Leyen and António Costa are expected to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping this week as geographical tensions intensify.

China's commerce minister and the European Union's trade chief had a "candid and in-depth" discussion on economic and trade cooperation as well as other issues that both sides face, the Chinese ministry said on Wednesday.