BEIJING - The world's trading nations are succumbing to protectionism, with trade conflicts becoming increasingly politicized, a Chinese official warned on Tuesday.

The negative impact of rising protectionism is emerging and worth paying attention to, said Wan Jifei, chairman of the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade, at an ongoing international trade promotion forum held in Beijing.

History suggests that increased protectionism is short-sighted and cannot fundamentally address the problems of unemployment and economic growth worldwide, he said.

On the contrary, free trade and investment is an engine of national economic growth, he added, calling for global cooperation in free trade and fighting protectionism.

Wan's call came amid the release of April's weak trade data, as shrinking external demand, rising labor and raw material costs and increasing trade frictions weighed on the country's export growth.

The Ministry of Commerce said Tuesday that external demand was worse than expected, with demand from the European Union - the country's biggest trade partner - dropping significantly.

The country's exports rose 4.9 percent year on year in April, down from the 8.9-percent increase registered in the previous month. The outlook for the country's foreign trade remains grim, although the full-year goal of a 10-percent rise is still achievable, the ministry said.