U.S. President Donald Trump meets with China's President Xi Jinping at the start of their bilateral meeting at the G20 leaders summit in Osaka, Japan, June 29, 2019. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque

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WASHINGTON (Reuters) -U.S. President Donald Trump will meet Chinese President Xi Jinping next week as part of a trip to Asia, the White House said on Thursday, confirming the meeting which had been called into question following an escalation in trade tensions.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters that Trump departs for Malaysia late on Friday night and will also visit Japan and South Korea, where he will meet Xi next Thursday after addressing the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) CEO Summit.

"On Thursday morning local time, President Trump will participate in a bilateral meeting with President Xi of the People's Republic of China, before departing to return home," Leavitt said.

On Sunday, Trump will meet Malaysia's Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim and attend a working dinner of leaders of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, then fly to Tokyo on Monday to meet Japan's new Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi on Tuesday.

On Wednesday, Trump flies to South Korea, where he will meet South Korean President Lee Jae Myung, deliver keynote remarks at a luncheon for CEOs on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum summit, and then participate in a U.S.-APEC leaders working dinner.

A U.S.-China trade war, which had been simmering for months, exploded into full view in early October, after Beijing dramatically expanded curbs on exports of rare-earth minerals.

Trump had quickly threatened to retaliate with tariffs and other measures, but has in recent days expressed optimism about reaching a trade deal with China.

"I think we're going to come out very well, and everyone's going to be very happy," Trump said of the meeting later on Thursday.

Those comments have been in contrast to more strident remarks from his top trade negotiator and finance chief, who were headed to Asia on Wednesday to keep Trump's meeting with Xi, the first of his second term, on track.

Trump said the first question he would ask the Chinese leader would be about fentanyl.

Washington accuses Beijing of failing to curb the flow of precursor chemicals for fentanyl, a leading cause of U.S. overdose deaths. Beijing has defended its record and accused Washington of using fentanyl to "blackmail" China.

The White House used the flow of the chemicals from China as one justification for increasing tariffs on Chinese goods.

"The first question I'm going to be asking him about is fentanyl," Trump said. "I'm putting it right at the front of the list."

(Reporting by Michael Martina, Gram Slattery, Steve Holland and David Brunnstrom; Editing by Daniel Wallis and David Gregorio)