To do so would only open the door to more threatening Chinese action. The United States has lost all credibility with the Chinese. This is dangerous because China has long announced its intention of rejoining the democratic island country of Taiwan with mainland China. The primary obstacle for the Chinese is the promise of the United States to defend Taiwan should it be invaded. This promise is a deterrence factor for the Chinese.
Deterrence depends on credibility.
To be a credible force in international relations, you must have the capabilities to back up your promise, the willingness to use those capabilities and the ability to clearly communicate what is acceptable and what is not. It is on these last two counts that the United States has failed miserably. Former President Clinton savaged the elder Bush for negotiating with China in light of its human-rights abuses. Clinton declared that in his presidency China must first end its violation of human rights before it could negotiate with the United States. Yet it was Clinton who fought for China's receipt of most favored nation trading status.