Taiwan is already a latent nuclear power. The move to nuclear weapons would not take long given its current materials and technical capacity.
Taiwan already has two operational nuclear power plants on opposite ends of the island that could produce plutonium. It could use a ‘Japan option’ of enriching its radioactive materials for weaponization in a short timeframe.
The use of nuclear weapons by a nuclear-armed Taiwan would certainly make an already difficult invasion for Xi and the PLA more costly. History suggests that once Taiwan has nuclear weapons, the PRC will become much less aggressive toward it—making the development of nuclear weapons more attractive.
