TOKYO (Reuters) - Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said on Wednesday that he hoped the United States and China would resolve their trade war through constructive dialogue when they meet at a gathering of leaders from the Group of 20 major economies.

Abe, who hosts this week's summit in Osaka, also said he wanted the G20 to deliver a strong message on issues such as the promotion of free trade, innovation-driven global growth and rule-making for the digital economy.

"I expect that the United States and China will resolve their trade friction in a constructive manner through dialogue such as their bilateral meeting at G20," Abe told a news conference.

(Reporting by Tetsushi Kajimoto; editing by Darren Schuettler)