War with US would be 'unbearable disaster', says China

China's defence minister has said war with the US would be an "unbearable disaster" for the world, and his country sought dialogue over conflict.

At a security summit, General Li Shangfu said "some countries" were intensifying an arms race.

But he said the world was big enough for both China and the US, and the two superpowers should seek common ground.

Earlier the US noted "unsafe" manoeuvres by a Chinese destroyer near a US warship in the Taiwan strait.

Beijing has rejected a US request for direct military talks, in protest at sanctions placed on Gen Li by the US in 2018 over weapons purchases from Russia.

Speaking at the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore, the Asia-Pacific region's only annual security meeting, Gen Li said "China and the US have different systems and are different in many other ways."

"A Cold War mentality is now resurgent, greatly increasing security risks," he told delegates, according to Reuters new agency.

"Mutual respect should prevail over bullying and hegemony," Gen Li added.

This was Gen Li's first major international address since becoming defence minister in March.

Relations between Washington and Beijing have been strained in recent years over several issues, including China's claim over Taiwan, and territorial disputes in the South China Sea.

On Saturday, the US navy said a Chinese destroyer sailed "in an unsafe manner" near an American warship as it transited the Taiwan Strait with Canadian vessels.

China's has criticised both countries for "deliberately provoking risk". The US and Canada said they were sailing where international law allows.

Last month, the Pentagon also released a video of a Chinese jet flying close to a US surveillance plane in the South China Sea, calling it an "unnecessarily aggressive manoeuvre".

At the Singapore summit, US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin rebuked China for refusing to hold military discussions.

Gen Austin and Gen Li shook hands and briefly spoke at the event's opening dinner on Friday, but there was no substantive exchange, AFP news agency reports.

One of China's delegates told AFP that the removal of US sanctions on Gen Li was a precondition for talks.

Despite the diplomatic spat, a top US state department official has arrived in Beijing for a week of wide-ranging talks.

Senior intelligence officials attended a meeting of spy chiefs at the summit, according to Reuters.