"Even as the US side is in the Christmas holiday period, China and US economic and trade teams have been in close communication, and the consultations are progressing in an orderly manner as scheduled," Gao said, when asked about progress on trade negotiations on Thursday.

        Gao did not comment directly when asked to confirm a media report on a US trade delegation visit scheduled for the week of January 7.

       "The two sides have indeed made specific arrangements for face-to-face consultations in January in addition to continuing intensive telephone consultations," he said, without elaborating.

       US and Chinese officials have spoken by phone in recent weeks, but a meeting next month would be the first in-person talks since US President Donald Trump met his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, in Buenos Aires on December 1.