Washington DC, Aug. 31 -- US President Donald Trump on Monday (local time) announced from the Oval Office that he is preparing to host Chinese President Xi Jinping for a high-stakes bilateral summit in Washington later this month, following months of diplomatic engagement, including President Trump's state visit to Beijing in May this year.

Speaking to reporters, President Trump expressed optimism about the meeting, emphasising a strong personal rapport while signalling that a broad agenda, spanning global security, trade, and human rights, will be on the table.

"He's coming in a couple of weeks. He looks forward to it, I look forward to having him. We've had a very good relationship... He's a man I have a lot of respect for. I think he...