"I expect a very harsh response from Beijing within 24-48 hours. I expect they will also begin flexing military personnel and equipment--moving it around overtly, staging supposedly dry runs etc. "
And monkeywrench the olympics and trade?
Not likely.
China is pretending to be peaceful lately. Either they do nothing, or they end up looking like the same old baddies. Taiwan can't lose, China won't attack.
I'm somewhat skeptical that China would attack immediately. But they're likely to move up the date and refine the contingencies.
In terms of the other issues . . .
The rulers
DO NOT CARE.
BTW, how long have you lived there?
How many well connected sorts did you have long dialogues with?
THROUGHOUT China's history the serfs were to dispose of at the leaders' whim for the leaders' inscrutable reasons and that was that.
At this point, they are quite willing to give up major portions of population--ALL the American market and whatever else to establish their hegenomy . . . FOR THE CHINESE NATION--THE CHINESE CULTURE.
And even . . . again . . . merely for personal pride. And that puts it mildly.
Sssssshhhh ... don't say that around here. We've got people changing their pants every post they're so scared. The level of cowardice would be amusing were it not so pathetic.