China sends warships towards Taiwan after island's leader meets US speaker

China has sent warships and dozens of fighter jets towards Taiwan, the island's government said. The move came in retaliation for a meeting between the US House of Representatives speaker and the president of the self-ruled island democracy claimed by Beijing as part of its territory. The Chinese military announced the start of three-day "combat readiness patrols" as a warning to Taiwanese who want to make the island's de facto independence permanent. The People's Liberation Army (PLA) gave no indication whether they might include a repeat of previous exercises with missiles fired into the sea, which disrupted shipping and airline…