During my recent visit to China, government officials and policy experts alike exhibited a volatile mixture of attitudes. Their views ranged from optimism on prospects for reduced tensions in the Taiwan Strait following the election of Ma Ying-jeou as Taiwan's new leader, to anger over Western attitudes toward Tibet, to apprehension about Washington's Iran and North Korea policies, to uneasiness concerning overall relations between the United States and China under a new U.S. administration.

The optimism regarding Taiwan is understandable. After dealing with a staunchly pro-independence Taiwanese government for the past eight years, having a leader in Taipei committed to preserving the status quo-instead of constantly seeking ways to assert Taiwanese sovereignty-is a great relief to Beijing. Chinese officials hail the start of direct air and sea links between the mainland and Taiwan, the resumption (after a decade-long interruption) of a cross-strait political dialogue an...