In Taiwan's 2000 presidential election, the Kuomintang (KMT) government was defeated, for the first time after fifty-five years in power, by the pro-independence Democratic Progressive Party (DPP). Chen Shui-bian's election victory has significantly changed and further complicated the political and strategic scenarios across the Taiwan Strait.

This book is the first major study to investigate how this event developed, how it has affected cross-strait relations and how China will handle the new government in Taiwan.

The book provides a detailed reading of US military, economic and political involvement in the region and its strategy for Asia and China. It examines indications of strategic change under the Bush Administration and the possible impact of 11 September on US-China relations.