China’s foreign minister has warned that Donald Trump’s “America First” policy could mean a return of the “law of the jungle”.

“There are more than 190 countries in the world,” said Wang Yi. “Should everyone stress ‘my country first’ and obsess over a position of strength, the law of the jungle would [rule] the world again.

“Smaller and weaker countries would bear the brunt first, and international norms and order would take a body blow.”

Beijing has recently cast itself as a stable, reliable partner and player on the world stage, in contrast to Donald Trump’s bombastic, unpredictable US administration.

In two months at the White House, Mr Trump has upended decades of foreign policy and soft power, and moved towards cutting entire government departments. His decisions have rippled around the globe and set other countries scrambling to respond.

Mr Trump has withdrawn the US from several multilateral organisations and climate agreements, suspended most foreign aid, and broke with allies and precedent to vote against a United Nations resolution condemning Russia for its invasion of Ukraine.

Washington appears to be moving rapidly in its attempts to push Russia to agree on a peace deal by sidelining Ukraine, in a move that Beijing alluded to as “bullying”.