MOFCOM spokesman Gao Feng speaks at a regular news briefing in Beijing, September 13, 2018. (Photo: CGTN)

China welcomes the invitation from the US for a new round of high-level trade talks, and is discussing specific details with the US, said the Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM) on Thursday.

"The Chinese side believes that the escalation of the trade conflict is not in the interest of either party," MOFCOM spokesman Gao Feng stressed at a regular news briefing. Gao said teams from both sides have been in communication.

It is said that the Chinese team will include Vice Premier Liu He, the top economic adviser to Chinese President Xi Jinping.

Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) also confirmed that the government has received the invitation in its regular news briefing on Thursday.

"In fact, negotiation teams of China and the US have maintained various forms of communication and exchanged views on their respective concerns since the two countries held consultations on economic and trade issues at the vice-ministerial level in Washington last month, said Geng Shuang, MOFA spokesperson.

The invitation from senior US officials led by US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin was sent to China this week, White House economic adviser Larry Kudlow told Fox Business Network on Wednesday.

The news comes as the world eagerly awaits the Trump administration's final word on whether to activate tariffs on 200 billion US dollars' worth of Chinese imports after the public comments period ended last week.