The Taiwan conundrum: heading towards a new war?

Taiwan's controversial 2004 presidential election has drastically changed the political landscape of the island. The balance of power is turning greatly in favor of the pro-independence DPP and TSU coalition. China now focuses its energy on building up a well-off society in an all-round way. China will try its best to solve the Taiwan question peacefully. As Chen Shui-bian has made up his mind to carry out his timetable for independence, Beijing is being driven into a corner. Chen Shui-bian's victory not only constitutes a big challenge to China, but also a big challenge to the US. At the moment US-China relations are in one of the best stages of all time, but if the Taiwan issue goes out of control, US-China relations would be devastated, leading to a serious confrontation which might trigger a disastrous war between the two countries. In order to avoid such a worst-case scenario, the two countries should coordinate to manage the situation and take effective measures to keep the issue under control.