Robert O’Brien, who served as national security adviser under former President Donald Trump, outlined a comprehensive plan to avert a potential conflict with China, focusing on military strength and strategic positioning. Speaking on CBS News’ “Face The Nation,” O’Brien emphasized the need for a strong U.S. military presence in the Asia-Pacific region to deter Chinese aggression, particularly regarding Taiwan.

O’Brien advocated for “strategic ambiguity,” a policy where the U.S. does not explicitly state its response to potential Chinese actions, thereby keeping China uncertain and cautious. He stressed that maintaining “peace through strength” is crucial, calling for a more robust Navy and the repositioning of military forces from Europe to key locations in the Pacific.

“It’s called strategic ambiguity,” O’Brien said. “And we don’t tell the Chinese how we’re going to react to their actions. But the key thing is peace through strength. If we have a strong Navy, if we move our soldiers and Marines out of Europe, in Germany, where they’re garrisoned, and put them in Guam and Hawaii and the Philippines, and Australia, where we have Marines already, that sends a strong message to the Chinese not to invade.”

O’Brien emphasized that the primary goal is to prevent war rather than to engage in it. He criticized the current administration’s handling of Russian aggression in Ukraine, suggesting that a lack of deterrence there had emboldened further conflicts.

“The key is to deter war, not to fight and win a war, which we need to do if it happens,” O’Brien continued. “But we need to deter the Chinese and the Communist Party from invading Taiwan in the first place, which we failed to do with Russia in Ukraine. And so strength will deter the Chinese from invading. It’s not talk. It’s how they see our force posture.”

O’Brien proposed that the U.S. should also move a carrier strike group to the region, enhancing its presence and signaling to China that any aggressive moves towards Taiwan would be met with a significant response. Additionally, he called for increased energy production and a revitalization of the military, particularly the Navy, to ensure that the U.S. remains a formidable force.

“We need to increase our energy production,” he said, adding that the U.S. also needed to “rebuild our military, rebuild our Navy, get our shipyards producing ships again.”

O’Brien’s comments come amid growing tensions between the U.S. and China, with concerns over Taiwan’s security being a central issue. His strategy emphasizes a proactive approach to military preparedness and strategic deployment to maintain stability and prevent conflict in the region.