China has decided that the status quo in Taiwan is no longer acceptable and has begun to increase pressure on the island, including the possibility of using force, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said.

Speaking at a Bloomberg event, Blinken said China has changed the decades-old agreement between Washington and Beijing that its differences with Taiwan would be resolved peacefully.

"What's changed is this: the decision by the government in Beijing that that status quo was no longer acceptable, that they wanted to speed up the process by which they would pursue reunification," Blinken said. He added that China has also decided to increase pressure on Taiwan and retain the ability to "using force to achieve their goals" if pressure tactics do not work. "That is what has fundamentally changed."

Washington did not want a Cold War and did not try to restrain China, but rather resolutely defended its interests, he said.