Shanghai/Canberra | China has singled out Australia's strengthening military ties with the United States in  Asia-Pacific as it warned of "uncertainties" to security in the region and flagged a hardline approach towards any independence push in Hong Kong or Taiwan.

Releasing its first defence white paper in four years, Chinese defence chiefs warned that the People's Liberation Army (PLA) could be deployed in Hong Kong to maintain social order if requested by the city's government.