The delegations of China and the U.S. have stayed in close communication and have made plans to meet face-to-face in January, the spokesman of China's Ministry of Commerce Gao Feng said on Thursday.

The remarks came after media reports stated that a U.S. trade team will travel to Beijing on January 7 for trade talks with China.

Gao confirmed the potential meeting without giving a specified date, saying the two sides are keeping close communication via telephone as well.

The upcoming meeting will be the first face-to-face negotiation since Chinese President Xi Jinping and his U.S. counterpart Donald Trump met in Argentina at G20 summit.