“Yes, I think war is potentially possible because Xi Jinping now has absolute control over China after the last party congress.
He said he was going to reunite Taiwan with mainland China," TASS quoted her as saying.
Sherman recalled the words of the Chinese leader that he hoped to do this peacefully, but admitted the possibility of using force if necessary.
“So our efforts are focused on containing this, on convincing China not to move in this direction, and also on supporting Taiwan so that it has the means to defend itself,” Sherman added.
Earlier, the Chinese Defense Ministry reported that the Chinese army continues to train troops in the event of a military conflict.
Beijing urges the US not to violate China's territorial integrity over the situation around Taiwan.
Chinese President Xi Jinping said the Taiwan issue is the first red line that must not be crossed.