[SamAdams76]

The way the Chinese economy is going, Taiwan will be about significant to them as Puerto Rico is the the United States. In other words, why bother?

[Dat Mon]

You said..."The way the Chinese economy is going, Taiwan will be about significant to them as Puerto Rico is the the United States. In other words, why bother?"

There are a couple of reasons...these are from China's perspective IMO..

a) It is a matter of national pride...and would serve as a unifying / nationalistic focal point.
b) Taiwan is significantly more advanced than China in terms of semiconductor technology and circuit board manufacture...their technology takes a leap forward.
c) There is already a growing bond between Taiwan and China in terms of the business and technical people who travel and work between the two countries...this would cement the relationship...permanently.
d) They would like to get their hands on some military technology and equipment we have provided to Taiwan.
e) They would like to rub OUR noses in the fact that we wont or cant do anything about it...because we wont risk our carrier groups in an asymmetrical military engagement. It makes a statement to the world that THEY have arrived.

Hows that for starters?

[expatguy]

You are correct sir.

The focus of China is not on Taiwan. It is on Southeast Asia.

Yin and Yang

[Ghost of Philip Marlowe]

Their motivation isn't economic, it's geographic. They want the US to have no base of operations in the Pacific theater. It probably won't happen (as long as South Korea and Japan remain friendly), but that's their motivation.

It's sort of like an invasion of Kuwait. You do it to see how much you can get away with and how difficult it will be to control an entire region, including other nations.