Sitting down for talks with U.S. President Donald Trump, Chinese President Xi Jinping on Saturday said he hoped his meeting with Trump can "set a direction for our relationship in a period to come."

The much anticipated meeting took place on the sidelines of a summit of the Group of 20 major economies in the Japanese city of Osaka.

The two sides agreed to jointly promote Sino-U.S. relations based on coordination, cooperation and stability in accordance with the principles and directions set by the two leaders.