TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — U.S. House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairperson Michael McCaul recently expressed concern about the possibility of a Kuomintang presidential candidate taking office in January.

"If that candidate is a preferred candidate of the CCP (Chinese Communist Party), that does give me some reservation because it essentially will be their installed puppet candidate," McCaul told Nikkei Asia in an interview. However, if things do not end up going to plan, the representative said he believes Beijing will "look toward a more aggressive response," which might include a blockade of Taiwan.

He pointed to China's expanding nuclear capabilities, saying, "Their nuclear arsenal is massive, and it is something to be concerned about and feared." McCaul said this overwhelming firepower gives Chinese leader Xi Jinping (習近平) "a great deal of leverage" to block the U.S., Japan, and other partners from intervening in a Taiwan Strait conflict, though he predicts Xi will likely not use nuclear weapons.

In an annual congressional report on China's military power issued in November, the Pentagon expected Beijing to obtain 1,500 nuclear warheads by 2035.

McCaul said the U.S. and Japan should “absolutely” carry out tabletop wargames to plan for a Chinese nuclear response. It is advantageous "any time we can do joint exercises with Japan for any threat, whether it's nuclear or just a missile strike or in an invasion," he said.

McCaul called on allied leaders and partners to pursue dialogue with Xi as long as they know "China is an adversary and they're not our friend."

"I've always said we should be talking to our adversaries, but [with] eyes wide open," he added.

"I think China has been very aggressive, communist China. They are the largest, biggest national security long-term threat, and we're in a great-power competition with them."

Early last month, he embarked on a three-day trip to Taiwan from April 6-8, during which he visited the Legislative Yuan and met with President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文). He pledged to Tsai that arms sales would continue and said congress is doing all it can to expedite weapons deliveries and increase military training assistance.

Upon his return, McCaul said American troops could be sent to Taiwan in the event of a war. “If Communist China invaded Taiwan, it would certainly be on the table, and something that would be discussed by congress, and with the American people,” McCaul told Fox News.