Palm Beach, Florida - President Donald Trump invited Japan's Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi to the US during a phone call late on Friday, and they agreed to work towards a meeting early this year, officials said.

Trump has already said he will visit China in April, with Tokyo and Beijing in dispute over Takaichi's suggestion in November that Japan could intervene militarily in case of any attack on Taiwan.

China claims the island as part of its territory and has threatened to use force to bring it under its control.

Takaichi's comments triggered a sharp diplomatic backlash from China, which has urged its citizens to avoid traveling to Japan and suspended Japanese seafood imports.

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The Japanese PM and Trump spoke for 25 minutes, agreeing to further strengthen economic and security cooperation, the foreign ministry in Tokyo said in a statement.

Trump invited Takaichi to visit the US, and "the two leaders concurred to coordinate in detail to realize the visit to the United States this spring," it said.

The statement did not make clear whether Trump and Takaichi talked about China, but they also "exchanged views mainly on the Indo-Pacific region and confirmed the close cooperation between Japan and the United States," it said.

China launched missiles and deployed dozens of fighter jets, navy ships, and coastguard vessels around Taiwan in live-fire drills last week.

The drills drew a chorus of international criticism, including from Japan, Australia, and European countries.

Senior Captain Li Xi, a spokesperson for the Eastern Theater Command of China's People's Liberation Army, said Chinese troops were training to "resolutely thwart the attempts of 'Taiwan Independence' separatists and external intervention."

Trump advised Takaichi not to provoke China over Taiwan in their previous phone call on November 25, the Wall Street Journal reported, but Tokyo denied the report.