A blockade would create its own escalation crisis

How long would China need to blockade Taiwan before it surrendered?

No surrender timetable is given. Civilian suffering could prompt outside relief operations that would challenge the blockade and create further escalation risks.

A blockade intended to force surrender would itself create a conflict over access to Taiwan. Images of civilian deprivation could increase pressure for outside assistance. An airlift on a scale sufficient for Taiwan's population is one possibility raised, with the Berlin airlift as the comparison. An aid convoy is another possibility. Either would challenge the blockade, and no reliable timetable for surrender is offered.