This year and next are probably going to be the absolute best time to do it, the U.S. military is in shambles, military stocks throughout NATO are depleted and will need years to rebuild. Russia in Ukraine has effectively tied down most of the main NATO formations too. There is very, very little the U.S. or its regional allies could do to oppose China right now.
Yes, because all of those air-to-sea munitions we've been selling and giving the Ukrainians.
And torpedoes.
And combat aircraft.
And air-to-air missiles.
And the entire inventory of non-MANPAD SAM weapons that's been depleted.
Oh yeah, and the aircraft carriers, nuclear submarines, Arleigh-Burkes, anti-ship missiles-
-Oh wait, those last ones we've been selling to the
Taiwanese, not the Ukrainians.
All of the most essential kit and consumables for the US defeating a Chinese invasion of Taiwan is for
naval warfare, with air war being the close runner-up. And we're giving the Ukrainian practically nothing for blue-water combat (though some brown-water bits and bobs), and very little for the air war.
The biggest worry Taiwan has in regards to the US's involvement if China invades isn't our ammunition or equipment, it's whether there'll be a replay of treasonous democrats bitching out like they did in the Vietnam War, and handing victory to communists on a platter. If the US
does go hot in that conflict, pretty much all indicators are that China will get completely wrecked.
They might manage to take out a Carrier battle group or two in the process, but unless literally everything history has taught about warfare is subverted, the PLA is
not ready to take on the US military, much less the host of allies that would almost certainly commit if the US does.
Hell, the PLA might not even be able to take Taiwan solo; just look at what's happened to Russia in Ukraine, and Taiwan has the advantage of a nice big chunk of ocean in between it and China.