News from recent times are that US congress is going to pass a no. 3470 resolution to sell their retired 4x Perry class FFG to the Taiwanese navy.
They could be upgraded with the ASM launchers like what is on the "Taiwanese Perry" (Chung Kung) class bought in the 1990s, although both are of diff tonnage. It would form a classes of Perries to guard their coasts.
The La Fayette classes of Taiwanese navy would be an additional threat too!
From an aircraft carrier operation standpoint, China would never need to risk its carrier against Taiwan. The fact that they sailed through there recently shows that they are beyond that worry. And the numbers show it clearly.
The ROC naval force currently includes:
4 x Keelung Class Destroyers (These are the ex-Kidd Class US NAvy destoyers and are very strong)
8 x Chengkung Class Frigates (these are Taiwan license built OH Perry Class Frigates)
6 x Kangding Class Frigates (these are license built French Lafayette Class FFGs)
8 x Chi Yang class Frigates (Exx Knox Class Frigates modernized by Taiwan)
2 x Hai Shih class SSKs (Old World War II US Navy Trench Class subs with the Guppy II upgrade)
2 x Hai Lung Class SSKs (Revised Dutch Zwaardvis SSks from the mid-1980s)
The surface combatants are good vessels. The Kangdings do lack any effective AAW missiles at the moment, though Taiwan is planning to upgrade them soon with effective short to medium range AAW defense. If they get four more OHP frigates, they will replace four of the Knox friagtes. I am sure they will refit the new Perry frigates to be the equivalent of their own frigates. They built their own and certainly have the capability to make that refit relatively quickly.
So, if they do all of that, the ROC Navy will have 26 decent surface combatants.
But submarine capability is lacking. Those two old World War II era Guppy II upgrades were launched in 1945 (they are now approaching 70 years old and still operational), and two 30-year old Hai Yung class (Dutch Zwaadvis class) diesel-electric boats which are still decent, can now launch Harpoon missiles. But there are only two of them, and they would be outclassed by the newer Kilo subs, the Songs, and the Yuans of the PLAN.
The PLAN simply has far too many good diesel-Electric boats (12 kilos, 13 Songs, and 8 Yuans), 33 to date to Taiwan's four (reallt two), and then far too many surface combatants (24 strong frigates, 22 strong destroyers) and growing rapidly. Of these forces, the PLAN could easily deploy an overwhelming force over and have plenty left over.
As I say, the PLAN would never have to employ the carrier. Why would they risk her? They have tremdendous numbers of modern land based air are nearby to cover all of the naval forces. Such an engagement would be sharp and undoubtedly the PLAN would lose a number of vessels...but there would be no doubt as to the outcome. The only hope the ROCN would have is if one or two US carrier battle groups and their esscorts were close-by when it happened, and the US intervened.
As it is, a Delft has said, IMHO, I doubt that such a scenario is ever going to play out at this point. Taiwan knows the military disparity and its economic viability is now unalterably tied to the PRC. IMHO, at this point, Taiwan will try and hold onto the level of independence and autonomy that they have without upsetting the apple cart.
