War With China Is ‘Not Inevitable’: US Admiral

U.S. Admiral John C. Aquilino (L), commander of the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, is welcomed to New Zealand with a traditional Powhiri, Guard of Honor, and Last Post Ceremony, at Wellington, New Zealand, on Aug. 1, 2022. U.S. Embassy & Consulate in New Zealand

A catastrophic conflict between China and the United States for the future freedom of Taiwan is not yet inevitable, according to the commander of the U.S. forces in the Indo-Pacific.

Despite numerous military provocations in the waters surrounding Taiwan, China’s communist regime can still be deterred from launching a full-scale invasion of the democratic island, said Adm. John Aquilino, who heads the U.S. military’s Indo-Pacific Command (INDOPACOM).