US Indo-Pacific Commander Admiral John Aquilino on Tuesday said Washington must be ready to “fight and win” if it fails to deter China from taking military action against Taiwan.

Speaking during a US House of Representatives Armed Services Committee hearing, Aquilino declined to put a date on a possible Chinese invasion of Taiwan, saying that “for me, it doesn’t matter what the timeline is.”

“I’m responsible [for finding a way] to prevent this conflict today and — if deterrence were to fail — to be able to fight and win,” Aquilino said.