China fumes as Pelosi visits Taiwan: What makes the island so important?

Taiwan is among the largest manufacturers of crucial chips and houses the world's largest semiconductor foundry, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC)

Shortly after Nancy Pelosi's official visit to the island nation of Taiwan on Tuesday, tensions between China and Taiwan have risen. On Thursday, China started military exercises around Taiwan . Also, following Pelosi's visit, 27 Chinese jets entered Taiwan's air defence zone, and 22 of them crossed the median line separating the two countries.

Suspected drones reportedly flew above the Kinmen islands on Wednesday night. Taiwan, according to Reuters, fired flares to drive them away.

According to Reuters, Taiwan's defence ministry also said that its website suffered cyber attacks and went offline temporarily on Thursday. Pelosi, the first US speaker