TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — An armed conflict between Taiwan and China might break out much sooner than 2027, senior United States Congress member Mike Gallagher said in an interview published by Nikkei Asia on Friday (June 16).

With China sending military aircraft and ships close to Taiwan on an almost daily basis, fears have increased that Beijing might be preparing for armed confrontation. Over the past year, U.S. officials and politicians have sometimes mentioned various possible timelines for such an event.

Gallagher, who chairs the House of Representatives Select Committee on China, also said current efforts by the U.S. to talk to China might backfire. Secretary of State Antony Blinken was scheduled to visit Beijing June 18-19 as the highest-ranking U.S. official to travel there since the Biden Administration took office.

Gallagher said the region had already entered an extremely dangerous period, adding that he believed 2027 may not be the start, but the end, of that period. China’s communist leadership is facing a range of serious issues, including an economic slowdown and a population decline, which might lead it to take risky actions, Gallagher said.

Gallagher expressed pessimism about U.S. efforts to improve relations with Beijing. He also criticized the European Union for only being interested in managing risk in their relationship with China, adding that only disengagement will work in countering potential Chinese dominance in strategic materials.

The lawmaker also reiterated concerns about the pace of producing and delivering weapons to Taiwan, noting that arms from the U.S. are needed to help Taiwan maintain a credible deterrent against Chinese interference.