War could break out in the Korean peninsula at “any time” within the next three months, a retired Chinese army general has warned.

Lieutenant General Wang Hongguang urged his country to mobilise defences in anticipation of conflict in the region, amid continued tensions over North Korea‘s nuclear weapons programme.

“The war on the Korean Peninsula might break out any time between now and March next year,” Lt-Gen Wang told an annual forum hosted by the Chinese Global Times newspaper.

He added: “China should be psychologically prepared for a potential Korean war, and the north-east China regions should be mobilised for that.

“Such mobilisation is not to launch a war, but for defensive purposes.”

Song Zhongping, a Chinese military expert, told the newspaper defensive mobilisation would include deploying anti-missile weapons to border areas that could be affected by nearby battles. Humanitarian aid would also be prepared for North Korean refugees, he added.

Mr Wang warned there was a significant risk of nuclear contamination and earthquakes in China if war did break out.

South Korea’s vice foreign minister last week issued an urgent plea about the threat from Pyongyang, warning the United Nations Security Council that North Korea was “in the final stages of nuclear weaponisation”.

Cho Hyun warned “it will fundamentally alter the security landscape in the region and beyond” if Kim Jong-un is able to fulfil his ambition of equipping a missile with a nuclear warhead.

North Korea TV shows video of ballistic missile launch

North Korea has rattled the world with a series of weapons tests in the past few months, detonating a hydrogen bomb and launching multiple ballistic missiles. After the latest missile lunch, Pyongyang claimed it had the capability to attack the US mainland and had devised a missile capable of carrying a “super-large heavy nuclear warhead”.