Volkswacht Bodensee - US president-elect Trump holds phone talks with Chinese leader Xi

CCTV said the phone call happened "on the evening of January 17", without providing any immediate further details.

Earlier on Friday, China announced Xi would send Vice President Han Zheng to attend Trump's inauguration next week.

Trump waged a bitter trade war with China during his first term, slapping onerous tariffs on imports from the world's second-largest economy.

He has threatened to impose more severe measures this time around, accusing Beijing of unfair trade practices and contributing to a devastating fentanyl crisis in the United States.

On Thursday, Beijing slammed comments by Marco Rubio, Trump's nominee for secretary of state, as "unwarranted attacks" after the senator -- in his confirmation hearing -- called China "the most... dangerous near-peer adversary" the US had ever faced.

"The US side must establish a correct understanding of China, cease unwarranted attacks and smear campaigns against China," foreign ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun told a regular briefing.

In December, Xi said China was willing to engage in dialogue and "expand cooperation" with the US, but warned that a trade war would have "no winners".

C.Kreuzer--VB