Washington: United States President Donald Trump has invited his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping to sign the phase one of a bilateral trade deal when it is agreed upon, according to a top White House official. Trade talks between the world's two largest economies began in November last year but have not yielded desired results even after more than a dozen rounds of negotiations in both Beijing and Washington. The two countries have failed to reach any agreement to resolve the trade dispute that escalated after Trump slapped huge tariffs on Chinese goods, prompting tit-for-tat responses from China.

US National Security Advisor Robert O'Brien, who is one of the most senior members of the Washington delegation in Bangkok for the ASEAN meeting, said the US wants "great relations" with China. "We think good relations between the US and China is good for both of our countries, but it's also good for the world, it's good for the region here. So we seek good relations with China, but if we see conduct that's not fair, especially if it is conduct that is not fair to our friends and partners and allies in the region, we're not going to be shy about pointing it out," O'Brien said.