[causi]

Sure they could do a long range bombardment but then there's nothing left to take.

This is irrelevant. Not because you're wrong, but because you're thinking of terms of what a rational, reasonable person would do. Taking Taiwan has about as much to do with helping China as the Iraq War had to do with avenging 9/11: nothing whatsoever. If China attacks Taiwan it will be for the sole reason that Xi Jinping has and is using it as a political tool to amass power. For that purpose it doesn't matter if Taiwan is a smoking crater by the end.

[Qwertious]

Taking Taiwan would be useful as a naval base. And to deny the US the ability to blockade the pacific ocean.

[kelipso]

Seriously. There's a reason US has military bases on islands down the whole east coast of China.

[Simulacra]

Taiwan is the only thing essentially protecting Japan.