When Red China invades Taiwan it will not be overt--it will be something more like a Trojan Horse operation. There will be problems in Taiwan--rival presidents and riots. The Chinese will come to restore order. Some will welcome them. The "fifth Column" and Red Chinese agents will seize the airports and plains will bring in the troops--who will also come by ships. Some Taiwanese will welcome them as liberators. It will all be over in 48 hours. They will use their new naval power to hold us back until the war is over. Then, they will march on Viet Nam seeking the oil reserves and keep heading south. Will we risk Nuclear war for Indonesia and Malaya? Nope. They will have the oil and resorces they need. For all we know they might make life better for the people they take over. It will not be an empire just a unified communist block. By then we will be so dependent on China that we couldn't live without their stuff. That's what I see.
You've been reading Clancy, haven't you?
As though they haven't tried that a few times over the last thousand years. Maybe the Chinese are hoping one of these days they'll finally get lucky with that country.