I think you greatly underestimates what Taiwan means to China. People in the west are quick to dismiss any claims by China on Taiwan as having any legitimacy, viewing it purely as expansionism. But regardless of whether the western view of that is right (or ought to be right), the Chinese don't view it that way: they view it as a sovereignty issue, as an unfinished part of the Chinese civil war, and as part of the US' efforts to militarily contain China. Taiwan is a strategic location on which the US's "first island chain" depends — China's entire life depends on it.
As such, China would rather fight the entire western world than to let Taiwan go. They would rather destroy all their relationships with the west than to let Taiwan go. It doesn't matter whether they will actually win or not — they are prepared to, and that's what we don't understand (or for some people: don't want to understand).
Exactly. Moreover, countries that support Taiwan don't do it to liberate "poor Taiwanese people from bad China's tyranny". Instead, they will use that as an excuse to back actions that support their own national interests. Exactly like what China does. Personally I understand everyone's point of view in this game, yet I wish Taiwanese people could be left alone to live as they wish. What's certain is that it's a more complicated situation that people tend to oversimplify, as usual.
> China would rather fight the entire western world than to let Taiwan go.
They already do. But now they do it via trade wars, strongly worded letters, Olympic boycotts. They ensure that the fight is China vs the enemy of the day (Today Lithuania). It’s unbalanced.
The “fight” vs the whole world wouldn’t be a hot war. It would be a more balanced diplomatic and economic conflict where China can’t bully one state at a time.
As such, China would rather fight the entire western world than to let Taiwan go. They would rather destroy all their relationships with the west than to let Taiwan go. It doesn't matter whether they will actually win or not — they are prepared to, and that's what we don't understand (or for some people: don't want to understand).