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Robert Gates, US defence secretary, on Monday called on China to insulate the relationship between the two countries’ militaries from the fallout over a $6.4bn US arms sale to Taiwan.

In comments at a press conference at the Pentagon, Mr Gates highlighted the Obama administration’s continuing campaign to maintain such military-to-military contacts as a means of reducing distrust between the two sides, as well as avoiding inadvertent clashes and reassuring each other about long-term strategic goals.

“Stability is enhanced by contact between our military and a greater understanding of each other’s strategies,” Mr Gates said of China. “So I hope that if there is a downturn, that it will be a temporary one and that we can get back to strengthening this relationship.”

In comments that appeared intended to cool down the dispute, Robert Gibbs, President Barack Obama’s spokesman, said that specific Chinese sanctions against companies involved in the Taiwan sale would not be ”warranted, given what we know.”

He added: ”I don’t think that either country can afford to simply walk away from the other. That’s not what we would do, and I don’t think that’s what anybody expects them to do either.”

However, at the same time, a review of US missile defence policy highlighted Washington’s concerns about the growing number of Chinese missiles aimed at Taiwan, a build up that may prove increasingly difficult for Taipei to counter.

“One regional trend that particularly concerns the US is the growing imbalance of power across the Taiwan Strait in China’s favour,” said a long-term administration review of missile defence policy, issued on Monday. It cited China’s development of advanced ballistic missile capabilities that could threaten not just the country’s neighbours but also “naval forces in the region” – such as the US’s.

“China continues to field very large numbers of conventionally armed short-range ballistic missiles opposite Taiwan and is developing a number of new mobile conventionally armed medium-range systems,” said the review. “Chinese missiles will be capable of reaching not just important Taiwan military and civilian facilities but also US and allied military installations in the region.”

Under US law, the administration is obliged to provide military support so that Taiwan can defend itself.

In response to US approval for the Taiwan sale– which includes 114 Patriot missiles and 60 Black Hawk missiles – China has announced it intends a partial halt to military exchanges, as well as unspecified sanctions on companies such as Boeing and United Technologies, which are involved in providing the equipment.

Earlier, other US officials had said that the US military’s relationship with the “rather insular” People’s Liberation Army was important not just to “pierce misconceptions” but to ensure “we have the right signalling on the high seas and in the air so that we don’t have a misunderstanding leading to conflict.”

One official added: “Both sides, given our size and our presence in Asia, need to have a consistent dialogue on this so that people at all levels are reassured that China’s rise is indeed peaceful and that our intentions are indeed not contrary to China’s.”

Asked specifically about the Chinese threat to punish specific companies, Mr Gates said: “Well, we’ll just have to wait and see.”