China's defense minister said that war with the United States of America (USA), if it happened, would be an "unbearable catastrophe" for the world, in his first official speech since taking office.
At a security summit, Gen. Li Changfu said that "some countries" have intensified the arms race in Asia.
But he added the world is big enough, for both China and the United States, and the two superpowers should seek common ground.
The United States had claimed earlier, that a Chinese destroyer maneuvers "unsafe" near a US warship in the Taiwan Strait.
On Saturday, the US Navy said a Chinese destroyer had sailed "in an unsafe manner" near a US warship while it was transiting the Taiwan Strait with Canadian ships.
In his speech, the Chinese minister said that China will not allow the naval patrols of the United States and its allies to be "an excuse to exercise hegemony over navigation."
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