China on Sunday sent 23 warplanes and 8 ships to Taiwan, the defense ministry of the island said. The ships belong to the country's People's Liberation Army, it specified. In response, the island issued a warning and began deploying defensive complexes.

The move by China is in response to provocative visits by U.S. officials to Taiwan, a PRC territory. Beijing has repeatedly warned Washington against provocations related to its island province and warned that if unwanted American visits do take place, it will take the most serious retaliatory measures. One of them was China's initiation of military exercises after the U.S. ignored the protest. China views the United States' actions as an encroachment on its sovereignty and territorial integrity.

Starting a war in Taiwan could exacerbate current global economic problems and strike a blow to the U.S. economy, which depends on chip production on the island.