"All these have forged close ties between our people, which should not be cut off," Xie said.

Still, Xie struck a firm tone on China's bottom line. "China firmly opposes tariff war or trade war of any form," he said. "If any country insists on imposing tariff war or trade war on us, we will definitely face it fearlessly and take resolute countermeasures."

He contrasted protectionism with China's recent economic activity, particularly expos and trade fairs, which showed growing foreign interest and investment amid international economic and trade disruptions.

"In the first quarter, China's GDP grew 5.4 percent year-over-year. … The total value of China's imports and exports in the period set a new record high," he said, adding that more than half of that trade was with Belt and Road Initiative countries.

"All these have testified to the strong resilience and bright prospects of the Chinese economy," he said.

Concluding his speech with an ancient Chinese saying — "The greatest physicians save a country; the second greatest save individuals," Xie said that Chinese civilization advocates promoting the common good of the entire world and benefiting each human being.

"Time has proven and will continue to prove how far China's recipe will go," he said.

huanxinzhao@chinadailyusa.com