The Sacrifical Lamb?

From 1949 until .. what? 1971? We recognized the government in Taipei as The Republic of China. Then came the Nixon trip, UN membership (that demanded the expulsion of the RoC) and suddenly the PRoC had supplanted its "Mouse that Roared" in almost every way.

Now it looks like Beijing has decided that the time is right for it to take over this island nation - by force if they deem it necessary. And who's going to stop them?

In sheer muscle, no nation on Earth would relish taking them on, and even their military technology over the last ten years has grown meteorically, thanks to the Clinton Presidency. Diplomacy only works if both sides decide to be bound to it, so what's left to use as a metaphorical club to restrain Red China?

Trade? Right now the American trade deficit can best be described as "all goods go to America, no goods go to China". So - if there's no real leverage that can be realistically used militarily, diplomatically or through trade, what's left?

Or are the people of Taiwan to be sacrificed?