Why do they NEED to?
Also, China has indicated that they may very well use nuclear weapons. That would be the only response they COULD muster.
Instead Taiwan continues to act as if they utterly need our protection, while our own leaders act as if the supposedly obsolete PLA can actually do some real damage. You tell me what's going on here.
For the former: if you can get someone to pay your defense bills for you, that saves you a ton of money. As for the latter, China can do real damage, IF they are willing to pay the political price tag.
The first Type 093 is undergoing sea trial, the Song has now entered serial production,
The first two boats were unsatisfactory in the extreme--that's why China wants more Kilos. As for the Type 093--as I said, it's a late-build Permit. In other words, they busted their butts, and made it all the way into the 1960s. Whoop-de-do.
the DF-31 has been deployed in small numbers
OK, they can nuke Evergreen College of Rachel Corrie fame. What's the downside?
the PLAN's new 052C DDGs are superior to the Russian Sovremennys.
They're still ADCAP bait.
They're obviously not moving quickly but to keep things in perspective, how quickly is Taiwan moving in acquiring the weapons they signed for nearly 3 years ago?
On schedule, except for the subs, but that was expected from the get-go.
Assuming a surprise attack, the first wave of Chinese missiles can indeed use GPS guidance, as 5 minutes is too short for our government to determine how exactly to intervene.
Space Command most likely has standing orders to engage "selective availability" on the outbreak of ANY major regional conflict. They may get one free shot--but that's it.
Thereafter China will still have its own regional navigation satellites (the 3-satellite Beidou constellation destined to be 8), plus 8 electro-optical & radar satellites soon to be launched.
Whoop-de-do. Look up White Sands, New Mexico.
As for long-range artillery, sheer numbers will be a problem for Taiwan.
You still have to explain how the ChiComs get boots on the ground. And lobbing artillery at Taipei still doesn't endear the good folk of Taiwan to the ChiComs. It makes a "settlement" LESS likely.
The biggest threat lies in electronic warfare: Taiwan's C4I infrastructure remains relatively unprotected from EMP/radio-frequency attacks, & China will have plenty of anti-radiation missiles to throw at them.
If you're going to throw technobabble around, learn what the technobabble means.
"EMP/radio-frequency attacks" are massively hyped as opposed to actually used. It would be cheaper to attack the target with a high-explosive warhead--unless you're lobbing a nuke, the radius of effect for an EMP warhead or RF weapon is comparable to that of a 500-pound bomb.
Taiwan can't be invaded successfully, for obvious reasons, but in a few years the PLA can severely impair its defenses & pressure it into an unfavorable political settlement, especially if US remains preoccupied with war on terror.
Ah, yes. You assume that the Taiwanese will do EXACTLY as you describe, and not do anything "crazy" under extreme stress.
My bet's on the "crazy" stuff. People facing the destruction of all they've worked for tend to go with that option.