China has urged the United States and North Korea to "stop irritating" each other.

Just a day after Pyongyang accused America of pushing them towards nuclear war, China advised all parties to stay calm and "lower temperatures".

An ally of North Korea, China has long been seen by America as a means to exert pressure on its neighbour to abandon its nuclear programme.

The Trump administration has recently increased its military strength in the region, sending a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier to Korean waters.

This week a pair of strategic US bombers took part in training drills with South Korean and Japanese air forces.

North Korea called the exercise a "reckless military provocation", claiming they were pushing the region to "the brink of nuclear war".

A spokesman for the Chinese foreign ministry said: "We again urge all relevant parties to remain calm and exercise restraint, stop irritating each other, work hard to create an atmosphere for contact and dialogue between all sides."

Over the weekend Mr Trump had separate conversations with the leaders of Thailand, Singapore and the Philippines in a bid to reach out to Asian allies.

And on Tuesday Mr Trump spoke to Russian President Vladimir Putin, discussing both Syria and "about how best to resolve the very dangerous situation in North Korea".

But earlier in the week, Mr Trump raised eyebrows when he said he "would, absolutely" meet North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un "under the right circumstances".

Many fear that North Korea is preparing to conduct its sixth nuclear test in defiance of UN Security Council resolutions.

Meanwhile, an American professor has been detained for "hostile" acts after being "intercepted" at Pyongyang airport.

The 55-year-old - who is the third American being detained in North Korea - is accused of committing "criminal acts aimed to subvert the country".