Intensifying China's psychological warfare against Taiwan, Red Chinese agents on the island spread rumors an invasion was imminent. In fact, China is unlikely to mount such a massive operation against Taiwan or the nearby Pescadore Islands anytime soon. China's weak navy has only 72 dedicated amphibious ships, capable of landing about 12,000 troops and 100 tanks per mission. China has three airborne divisions but lacks transport aircraft to drop more than one brigade at a time. Transporting the minimum 500,000-1,000,000 troops needed to conqueror Taiwan would mean employing a vast armada of lumbering junks and rusty coastal transports that would be sitting ducks for air and naval attack.
China faces the same problem Germany encountered when planning to invade Britain.
The huge but obsolescent Chinese Air Force cannot guarantee top cover for an invasion fleet, nor neutralize Taiwan's air fields and fleet. Nor does China have the naval gunfire capability to overcoming Taiwan's powerful shore defenses that would massacre landing troops. More important, China fears the US 7th Fleet's carrier aircraft and submarines would intervene to halt any invasion. China's invasion fleet would be sunk. Any Chinese beachheads would be cut off from supplies and reinforcements.