By Alexandra Gibbs, CNBC–

U.S. stock index futures eked out slight gains ahead of Tuesday’s open, as investors turn their attention to the political and central banking spheres.

At around 5:00 a.m. ET, Dow futures rose 47 points, indicating a positive open of 49.31 points, with the S&P 500 and Nasdaq futures also pointing to a flat to upbeat start to the day.

With little economic data out at the start of this week, investors have been turning their attention to news surrounding the U.S. administration’s relationship with China and the U.S. Federal Reserve.

Markets have been in wait-and-see mode over recent sessions, as reports emerge that a nine-member delegation from Beijing would hold meetings with officials from the States later on this week. The news, which was first reported by the Wall Street Journal, went onto add that this could lead to a potential meeting between the presidents of China and the U.S. later on in November this year.

Investors remain cautious, however, after an interview President Donald Trump had with Reuters. On Monday, the U.S. leader told the news agency that he wasn’t expecting much progress from trade discussions with China. This week’s meeting comes as fresh tariffs from the States on $16 billion of Chinese goods are due to come into effect this week, with Beijing having imposed the same amount of retaliatory levies on the U.S.

Sticking with the same interview, Trump went onto deliver his thoughts about the U.S. central bank. During the conversation, the U.S. president revealed that he would continue to criticize the U.S. institution, if it persisted with raising interest rates. Trump added that the Fed should do “what’s good for the country.”

The interview comes just days before the U.S. Federal Reserve gather in Jackson Hole, Wyoming for the annual economic symposium. This year, Fed Chair Jerome Powell is due to deliver a speech on Friday, and the summit will be themed around the idea of changing market structure and the implications for monetary policy going forward. The minutes from the latest Fed meeting will be released tomorrow.

Switching focus, Medtronic, JM Smuckers, Kohl’s, TJX Companies, Toll Brothers, La-Z-Boy, Pure Storage and Urban Outfitters are all publishing their latest financial earnings Tuesday.

The Philadelphia Fed’s non-manufacturing business outlook survey is due out at 8:30 a.m. ET.