[SaltyJoe]

If China grabs Taiwan, then the world will grab her entire defenseless merchant marine and overseas assets. Beijing doesn't have either the power projection of a blue water navy, nor an assassin force to wack all those who will take advantage of her "bad guy" status should she become expansionist. This isn't the 1950s, and Taiwan isn't Tibet.

China has more of a chance of grabbing Laos and Burma/Myanmar than Taiwan and nobody (save nervous Thais for Loas) would really care. The amphibious force striking for Taiwan might be real, but it also may be a real ruse to take our focus off other more profitable opium, sex, and gambling markets.

[Gengis Khan]

Precisely why China wont make any move now. China's gamble is for the future. Meanwhile China would love to prop up new dictatorial/terrorist (eg. Iran,Syria,Paskitan,N Korea) hotbeds for America to get involved in untill America runs out of steam.