Taiwan says China is practicing for an invasion. Here's what you need to know about the ongoing war games.

Taiwan's government warned Tuesday that China's ongoing military exercises around its shores were not only a rehearsal for an invasion of the tiny, self-governing island, but an indication that Beijing intends to take control of huge swaths of the western Pacific. The warning came as Taiwan's military conducted its own exercises, clearly intended to show readiness to defend against any Chinese invasion.

China considers Taiwan its own territory, and President Xi Jinping has made it clear that he intends to exert control over the island, by force if necessary.

His regime was infuriated by U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's visit to Taiwan earlier this month, which Beijing considered a direct challenge to China's claim over the island. Beijing immediately launched the dramatic war games around Taiwan in response, in addition to ending a number of cooperation agreements with the U.S. on everything from defense to the environment.