I've spoken to China's Xi since inauguration: Trump

Trump made the comments in an interview aired on Fox News.

"Yeah ... I have talked to him and I have talked to his people, too," Trump said when asked if he has spoken to the Chinese leader since the US president's inauguration.

"We have a very good personal relationship," Trump added.

The US president did not provide details on when exactly the call happened or what was discussed.

Trump said last week he was in no hurry to speak to Xi to try to defuse a new trade war between the world's two largest economies. A conversation between Xi and Trump is seen as crucial to a potential easing or delay of trade tariffs.

The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Trump's interview to Fox News.

Trump and Xi had spoken just before Trump took office on January 20 and discussed issues including TikTok, trade and Taiwan.

When asked at a regular news conference on Tuesday to confirm the call mentioned by Trump, the Chinese foreign ministry did not directly comment on it, instead referring reporters to the "scheduled" call before Trump took office.

"On January 17, President Xi Jinping had a scheduled phone call with US President Trump, and the Chinese side has already released the relevant press release," Guo Jiakun, a ministry spokesperson, told reporters.

China imposed targeted tariffs on US imports last week and put several companies, including Alphabet's Google, on notice for possible sanctions, in a measured response to Trump's across-the-board 10 per cent duties, which had come on top of prior tariffs.

Washington and Beijing have had tense relations for years over differences ranging from trade tariffs and cybersecurity to Taiwan, Hong Kong, human rights and the origins of COVID-19.

Australian Associated Press