MOSCOW (AFP) - China's foreign minister on Thursday (April 5) called on the international community to oppose the United States' recent trade moves, saying they threatened global economic growth.

Addressing a news conference in Moscow, Wang Yi condemned a move by President Donald Trump's administration to slap tariffs on a list of Chinese goods and said the world should stand up to Washington over what he called its unilateral moves.

"The world community must together resist these sorts of unilateral actions and breaking of the rules, must jointly push for global economic growth and together help bring some common sense to those who think they can do anything they like," he said.

If the United States believes it could benefit from protectionism it is making a mistake, he said after meeting with his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov.

"If the US is using the sanctions stick, then they've got the wrong idea," Wang Yi said.

An escalating confrontation between Washington and Beijing has been inching closer to an all-out trade war since China on Wednesday threatened retaliation against key US exports over looming US tariffs on more than 1,000 Chinese goods.

"Our counter-measures were necessary and sufficient," Wang Yi said, adding they were "a legitimate defence of our interests and our rights".