TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The United States has plans ready on how to conduct its military involvement in the event of an armed conflict between China and Taiwan, a former U.S. deputy national security adviser said Thursday (Jan. 12).

Matthew Pottinger, who served in his post during the Trump administration, was taking part in a seminar with former Defense Vice Minister Lee Hsi-ming (李喜明) when the latter asked him if the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command had any plans to enter a military cross-strait conflict, the Liberty Times reported.

He gave a positive reply, adding that there was not just one idea, but that there existed a complete plan. However, he was not allowed to divulge details about the issue.

During the discussion, Pottinger also emphasized that preventing a conflict from erupting was better than having to fight a war. Another lesson from the Russian invasion of Ukraine was that the determination of a people to defend its homeland could outweigh shortages of manpower and advanced weaponry, he said.

It was important to persuade China that an attempt to invade Taiwan would meet with strong resistance, not only from Taipei’s military, but also from other parties in the region, according to Pottinger. An invasion posed a grave threat to global peace and stability, and to the world’s democracies, he said.