This essay addresses the decline in Beijing's optimism about cross-Strait relations following the December 2001 Legislative Yuan election in Taiwan and how that shift may affect Beijing's views toward a range of security issues. In this context, the essay assesses Beijing's rising concerns about Washington's posture toward cross-Strait relations in the wake of President Bush's trip to China in February and Beijing's increasingly critical posture toward the American war on terrorism and U.S. security policies in general.