Hong Kong publications report on plans being hatched in Beijing for missile strikes on at least 150 civil and military targets in Taiwan, including nuclear power plants. Senior Chinese officials are quoted as saying they are prepared to take the U.S. to World War III if that is what it takes to regain Taiwan. But there are also good reasons to believe that this thunder will amount to little more than noise. It is true that China has military options that could cause great damage to Taiwan. As long as the U.S. remains firm, China is a weak power even on its own maritime frontier.
China certainly has no credible capability for a full-scale invasion.
Taiwan itself could turn back an initial attempt, and it certainly could hold on long enough for the American fleet to arrive. If China seized the islands, the U.S., the wider world and certainly East Asia would abandon the notion of Beijing as a peaceful international partner and would place more emphasis on effective military deterrence. China would also be making a major mistake if it thought that the U.S. had only simplistic military options such as deploying carrier battle groups. In order to be credible in defense of its Asian and global commitments, the U.S. military has worked hard to ensure that it has the means to deal with a wide range of contingencies. If China shot down Taiwan's aircraft, the island might well begin to get the best U.S. forward intelligence so it could shoot down Chinese aircraft to even the balance.