 US warns China Taiwan war would be devastating US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has said an armed conflict over Taiwan would be disastrous urging China to retain the status quo toward the island while vowing to boost America's military presence in the region speaking at the Shangri-La dialogue defense conference in Singapore Austin outlined Washington's vision of a free and open Indo-Pacific he argued that President Joe Biden prefers to avoid conflict with Beijing but said he will categorically oppose any efforts to change the status quo make no mistake conflict in the Taiwan Strait would be devastating so we are determined to maintain peace and stability Austin said adding that the United States does not seek a new Cold War however while he insisted Asia must never be split into hostile blocks the Defense Secretary went on to describe plans to dramatically step up American military operations in the region boasting that Biden's 2024 budget is the largest procurement request in US history including a 40% increase to the Pentagon's China focused Pacific deterrents initiative Austin went on to declare that Washington would enhance coordination and joint military training with a long list of regional partners from the East China Sea to the South China Sea to the Indian Ocean including Japan South Korea the Philippines Australia and others