TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — White House National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan told Bloomberg that there is a "distinct threat" of Chinese military action against Taiwan and that the U.S. will "push back" at any effort to change the status quo.

In a preview of an interview with David Rubenstein on Bloomberg's "The David Rubenstein Show: Peer-to-Peer Conversations" released on Thursday (Sept. 8), the host asked Sullivan if there was any scenario in which China might invade Taiwan. Sullivan responded by saying that there "remains a distinct threat that there could be a military contingency around Taiwan."

Sullivan pointed out that Beijing has made its official policy not to take the invasion of Taiwan "off the table." He said that invasion remains a potential option for the "reunification" of Taiwan.

He asserted that China's position on the Taiwan Strait has changed over time, which he said was evidenced by their "disturbance of the status quo in the Taiwan Strait." The White House advisor accused China of taking actions that "undermine peace and stability."

Sullivan then contrasted China's behavior with U.S. policy, which he described as "steadfast and consistent." He then explained that based on the U.S. "one China" policy, the Taiwan Relations Act, and Three Joint Communiques, there should be "no unilateral changes to the status quo" in the Taiwan Strait. He emphasized that the U.S. government will "push back at any effort to change the status quo by force."

When asked about the Biden Administration's stance on pending legislation in Congress designed to bolster U.S. support for Taiwan, Sullivan said that he would meet with lawmakers to discuss the legislation later that day.

He was reluctant to go into detail on the White House's plans for the legislation but did reveal that there are ways the U.S. can "strengthen security assistance" which he described as "effective and robust that will improve Taiwan's security." However, he said that there are "other elements that give us some concern."