India would stay out of it for another reason: Pakistan. China and Pakistan have decent relations with each other, and it would only take a phone call from Beijing to Islamabad, accompanied by the promise of all of Kashmir and a healthy chunk of Islamic northern India to mobilize the Paki's against the Indians. India wouldn't stand a chance against a coordinated Pakistani/Chinese offensive. One or the other, maybe. But not both at once.
This is has been a good discussion. And I infact have learned alot on the subject.
I agree that ten to twenty years from now based on how things are now, China may be too great a power to beat milatarily. They produce only 1 1/2 trillion, we produce 40 trillion.
We have to defend Taiwan, if nothing else but to thwart China's next move.
But the world is getting smaller, and everything we and they do affects us, even on a people to people scale.
nick