ABSTRACT
The new millennium found China for the first time since the early 1980s experiencing a sharp perception of threat that called for and set the course for a concentrated effort at military buildup. The factors at the basis of this change were the easing of tension in the Taiwan Strait and Beijing's decision to embark on assuming a world power role in the international system. In Taiwan's elections of May 2008 the victor was Ma Ying-jeou, who accordingly became the president. However, China's sense of being threatened did not dissipate, and the United States still remained the focus of its activities in military buildup. As perceived by China, in order to maintain its global hegemonic position and its interests in Asia-Pacific, Washington carried out measures to impede the rise of China. The explosive potential of these threats notwithstanding, they were still less acute than the Taiwan Strait tension.
