>I am pretty sure that China would lose more trying to take the heavily guarded island than they could ever get back from occupying it afterwards. That's not t

>I am pretty sure that China would lose more trying to take the heavily guarded island than they could ever get back from occupying it afterwards. That's not true at all. The first island chain blocks the Chinese military from unfettered access to the Pacific. Taiwan is the only part of that chain the CCP can potentially occupy. If they do and put PLAN bases there, then they gain a portal to the Pacific. It's extremely strategically valuable to them.