Speaking in Tokyo before flying to Singapore, Austin also called on China to re-open a channel between the superpowers’ militaries.

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“I’m concerned about at some point having an incident that could very, very quickly spiral out of control,” he said.

In what was his most high-profile speech on the global stage since taking office last year, Albanese said “this isn’t about a policy of containment, it’s not a question of placing obstacles in the way of any nation’s progress or potential” but preventing conflict.

“In Australia, our government has put dialogue at the heart of our efforts to stabilise our relationship with China,” he said.

“We’re not naive about this process or its limitations. We recognise there are fundamental differences in our two nations’ systems of government, our values and our worldviews. But we begin from the principle that whatever the issue, whether we agree or disagree, it is always better and more effective if we deal direct.”

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It was at last year’s edition of the Shangri-La Dialogue, held less than a fortnight after Labor ousted the Morrison government in the election, that a gradual thawing between Australia and Beijing began to occur.

Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Richard Marles’ meeting there with his then counterpart Wei Fenghe set the tone for other top-level get-togethers including one between Albanese and Chinese President Xi Jinping on the edges of the G20 leaders’ summit in Bali in November.

There remains much strain in relations, though, with China retaining trade sanctions on some Australian products and Australia standing up for the rule of law in disputed areas such as Taiwan, which Beijing views as its own, and the South China Sea.

Relaying the details of a meeting here on Thursday between Li and Singapore Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen, Chinese Defence Ministry spokesman Tan Kefei said his government continued to pursue a peaceful reunification with Taiwan but added: “We will absolutely not promise to renounce the use of force”.

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It is a path that Albanese – describing Australia as a champion for peace and prosperity – urged not be taken.

“In boosting our nation’s defence capability, Australia’s goal is not to prepare for war but to prevent it through deterrence and reassurance and building resilience in the region,” he said.

“Doing our part to fulfil the shared responsibility all of us have to preserve peace and security. And making it crystal clear that when it comes to any unilateral attempt to change the status quo by force: be it in Taiwan, the South China Sea, the East China Sea or elsewhere, the risk of conflict will always far outweigh any potential reward.”

Albanese and Marles also met with Singapore Deputy Prime Minister and leader-in-waiting Lawrence Wong at the Istana, the presidential palace. Albanese also spoke with the city-state’s ceremonial president Halimah Yacob but Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong was absent after falling ill with COVID-19.

Albanese had an orchid named and planted in his honour on the grounds of the palace – the Dendrobium Anthony Albanese – a traditional gesture of friendship towards visiting leaders and heads of state.

Australia’s prime minister will fly to Hanoi on Saturday for a two-day visit to Vietnam while Marles stays in Singapore for the rest of the security forum.

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