"I think we need to take very seriously Xi's ambitions with regard to ultimately controlling Taiwan. That doesn't, however, in our view, mean that a military conflict is inevitable," he told CBS’s "Face the Nation" show.
Burns claimed that President Xi had instructed the armed forces to be ready to "invade" what China sees as its integral territory by 2027 but that did not necessarily mean that he had made the final decision.
"All I would say is that I think the risks of, you know, a potential use of force probably grow the further into this decade you get and beyond it, into the following decade as well. So that's something obviously, that we watch very, very carefully," Burns said.
Tensions between China and Taiwan spiraled last year following a flurry of trips to the island by US and European officials. China has criticized the visits as a show of support for Taiwanese separatism and has been conducting daily flybys over the waters off the island.
Officially, the United States supports the "One-China" policy and acknowledges Taiwan as part of China. However, the United States insists that the issue be resolved peacefully. China questioned the United States' commitment to the One-China policy after then Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi visited Taipei in 2022. Tensions between the two countries grew further after a Chinese balloon was spotted over the United States and was shot down.