The World Trade Organization (WTO) said on Wednesday that discussions on trade tensions were "constructive", after China accused the US of imposing "tariff shocks" that could upend the global trading system.

China condemned tariffs launched or threatened by US President Donald Trump at a World Trade Organization meeting on Tuesday. Washington dismissed China's comments as hypocritical.

Trump has announced sweeping 10 percent tariffs on all Chinese imports, prompting Beijing to respond with retaliatory tariffs and to file a WTO dispute against Washington in what could be an early test of Trump's stance towards the institution.

The majority of the six countries that participated in the talks on trade turbulence, put on the agenda by China, raised concern about mounting tensions, but also called for restraint, said WTO spokesperson Ismaila Dieng in a press conference in Geneva on Wednesday.

The United States, Nicaragua, Namibia, Malaysia, Trinidad and Tobago and Russia took part in the discussions, which were part of broader talks on trade.

The large majority "stressed the importance of upholding WTO principles and values and called for action to preserve the stability and effectiveness of the global trading system", Dieng added.

It is the first time that mounting trade frictions have been formally addressed on the agenda of the watchdog's top decision-making body, the General Council.

Separately, Commerce Minister Wang Wentao expressed strong dissatisfaction with US tariffs on Chinese goods in a letter addressed to the newly confirmed US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick.

"The move by the US to unilaterally impose tariffs undermined normal economic and trade cooperation between China and the US", Wang said in the letter.

Wang also said Beijing was willing to work with Washington to "strengthen dialogue, manage differences, promote cooperation" and hoped to create a "fair and predictable policy environment" for the two countries' business communities to cooperate. (Reuters)