Shipping containers are seen on a cargo vessel at the Dachan Bay Terminals in Shenzhen, Guangdong province, China July 12, 2018. REUTERS/Stringer

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The White House said on Friday the United States is open to further talks with China on how to resolve a tit-for-tat trade dispute between Washington and Beijing.

White House spokeswoman Lindsay Walters was responding to a request for clarification on Trump economic adviser Larry Kudlow’s statement on Friday that there have been contacts in recent days between the two countries at the highest level.

“We’ve had high-level discussions on multiple occasions in the past few months, and we remain open to further discussions with China,” she said.

She did not say who Kudlow was referring to but noted that U.S. President Donald Trump last spoke to Chinese President Xi Jinping in May.