US President Joe Biden said on Tuesday that he is "sure" he will see President Xi Jinping if they both attend November's meeting of the Group of 20 nations in Indonesia.

"If he's there, I'm sure I'll see him," Biden told reporters before a Cabinet meeting.

Xi and Biden discussed the possible meeting during a more-than-two-hour July 28 call days before a visit to Taiwan by US House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

Biden's team has long sought – but has not yet confirmed – an in-person meeting between the two leaders to lower tensions over Taiwan, trade and a host of other issues.

However, opportunities for a summit have been squeezed by the global Covid-19 pandemic and Xi's cutting of international travel.

The White House has yet to confirm details of Biden's travel plans.

During their last phone exchange, held in July, a US official said the two leaders had decided to "find a mutually agreeable time" for a face-to-face meeting.

Meanwhile, a Russian diplomat said on Wednesday that President Xi will meet his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin next week during a regional summit in Uzbekistan, in what would be Mr Xi's first trip abroad since the start of the pandemic.

"In less than 10 days our leaders will meet at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit" in Samarkand, the Russian ambassador to China, Andrey Denisov, told Russian agencies.

The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation is made up of China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, India and Pakistan. (Agencies)
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Last updated: 2021-09-07 HKT 16:50