The disagreement isn't about how sanctions work, you're right about that. Taiwan is acutely threatened and their airspace and waters are routinely violated by the PLA. They're attempting to infiltrate the country on all fronts - through the media, through their democratic system and by recruiting Taiwanese to infiltrate the country from within, same as they did in HK before the takeover. There should be heavy sanctions for what is happening already, and not just with HK and Taiwan. If the CCP were to invade this would be an action far beyond sanctions, we can't just throw all these people under the bus! Taiwan is an independent and free country with over 23 million people. It would be like watching them invade the Netherlands without sending military help.

Mainland China is well connected and increasingly powerful, it's not like North Korea or a Soviet Union when they were close to economic collapse. In many ways the Chinese system is actually more resilient than the US or the EU. Taiwan needs to be defended, the CCP has to be stopped right there. If sanctions were all that was standing between them and Taiwan, the Republic of China would be history already.