China's overture appeared aimed at deepening engagement with the influential young couple, who played a role in the first summit between Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping in April, which set an improved tone for relations between the world's two biggest economies.

Kushner, a senior adviser who entered the White House with no government experience, has been assigned the job of conducting Middle East peace diplomacy and will visit the region this week for talks with Israeli and Palestinian leaders.

Helping to manage relations with China is another part of his foreign policy portfolio.

The government of China has invited US President Donald Trump's daughter, Ivanka Trump, and his son-in-law, Jared Kushner, to visit Beijing later this year, a White House official said on Tuesday.