NEW YORK (GZERO MEDIA) - When asked about where a US-China war may start, retired US Admiral James Stavridis doesn't hesitate in stating: Taiwan.

Speaking with American political scientist Ian Bremmer, Mr Stavridis says that while it would be a miscalculation, China may make a move against Taiwan while the US faces domestic splits in Congress and is still recovering from the historic storming of the Capitol in January.

"If China decided that they wanted to move now against Taiwan, one aspect of that perhaps would be their feeling that, well, the US is very distracted," he said.

While China considers Taiwan to be a rebel province that will one day return to the mainland's fold, the US has maintained relations with Taipei and remains its most important military ally.

In April, Taiwan reported that 25 Chinese air force aircraft including fighters and nuclear-capable bombers had entered its air defence identification zone in the largest reported action by the Republic to date.

Mr Stavridis added that in the case of a takeover, Chinese sleeper cells embedded in Taiwanese society would link up with special forces to take control of airfields.

"They would have an air lift that would literally leap over the Taiwanese defenses at sea and air. They would flood the zone with ships and submarines on the far side of Taiwan, presuming that we would try and come in and assist Taiwan. All this would be a miscalculation but I think it is not impossible to conceive of that over the next few years."

This GZERO media video is being shown here as part of a media partnership agreement with The Straits Times.