The ambassador's remarks follow reports that the White House claimed Chinese imports to the US face tariffs of up to 245 percent. Beijing responded that it would ignore the US' "tariff numbers game" and "fight to the end" to protect its rights and interests.

On Thursday, China's Ministry of Commerce said China has maintained communications with its US counterparts, a statement that seemed to have been confirmed by US President Donald Trump, who told reporters on Friday that "we have nice conversations going with China".

Xie cautioned against the detrimental effects of protectionist policies, drawing historical parallels to the Smoot-Hawley Tariff Act of 1930, which is widely regarded as having exacerbated the Great Depression.

"Tariff barriers would clog the flow of international trade and devastate the health of the world economy," he said. "Tributaries will dry up when there is no water in the main river."

Highlighting the interconnectedness of global economies, Xie noted that weaponizing interdependence would only lead to self-isolation and backfire.

He advocated for a cooperative approach that focuses on expanding the global economic pie, instead of "fighting over the existing turf".