Blair, who was speaking after meetings with Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad and other ministers, is the senior U.S. military commander in the Pacific and Indian Ocean areas. Analysts have suggested that the Bush government would take a harder line against China than the Clinton administration. Clinton called China a strategic partner, but Bush described the country as a strategic competitor.
China views Taiwan as a rebel province and has vowed to reunify with it, by force if necessary.
Taiwan is the most sensitive issue in China-U.S. ties. Washington has had no diplomatic relations with Taipei since 1979, but is the island's biggest arms supplier. Bush takes over the presidency on January 20.