China begins military drills near Taiwan – after island’s leader met with US speaker

China has begun three days of military exercises around Taiwan in retaliation for a meeting between the US House of Representatives speaker and the president of the self-ruled island claimed by Beijing. A Chinese amphibious landing ship – capable of transporting troops, craft and vehicles – began live-fire drills in the seas facing the Taiwan Strait on Saturday morning, while 42 Chinese fighter jets and eight warships were detected near the island. The People’s Liberation Army said the three-day “combat readiness patrols” were a warning to those in Taiwan who want to make the island’s de facto independence permanent. The…