China warned yesterday that US tariffs on Chinese tires would damage the mutually beneficial trade relationship between the two economic powerhouses.

"The (tariffs) will certainly impact trade between China and the US because we have a huge trade volume," said Vice-Foreign Minister He Yafei at a briefing yesterday on President Hu Jintao's participation in next week's G20 summit in Pittsburgh.

He blasted the tire tariffs as "clear examples of protectionism," reiterating a similar denouncement from other Chinese officials.