Question: (Anyone here with some "expertise" on military strategy as well as our current capacity to wage war with China, please opine along with all others of course).
Realistically, what are we looking at in terms of confrontation with China over an invasion of Taiwan? What will be the scope of such a conflict? Will most of the fighting be limited to a small area in the Pacific? Would it expand to their mainland or ours? Does China have or will they have the nuclear capacity to deliver a crushing blow to the U.S. mainland? Should we expect Russia to declare war on us should we attack China?
I am mainly curious as to whether or not this will be a large scale "global" war or is China a paper tiger as of now?
Give Taiwan a nuke and the problem goes away.
"Realistically, what are we looking at in terms of confrontation with China over an invasion of Taiwan?"
The ChiComs would be taking on a task about as difficult as the assault on Normandy was in 1944.
"What will be the scope of such a conflict?"
It would most likely be limited to the South China Sea and East China Sea.
"Would it expand to their mainland or ours?"
Unlikely, as China is not interested in national suicide.
"Does China have or will they have the nuclear capacity to deliver a crushing blow to the U.S. mainland?"
Define "crushing." Can they destroy some American cities? Absolutely, and such a blow would be terrible. But our vengeance would be swift, certain, and complete--China would no longer exist as a political entity.
"Should we expect Russia to declare war on us should we attack China?"
Why would they?