Taiwan has reportedly ramped up its military preparedness as threats are coming from China over a potential visit by the US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

Washington has said that China may carry out "military provocations" such as firing missiles near Taiwan if Pelosi visits the island.

China sees Taiwan as a breakaway province that will eventually be under Beijing's control again,while Taiwan sees itself as an independent country.

China's President Xi Jinping has said "reunification" with Taiwan “must be fulfilled”. 

According to the latest reports, Taiwan President’s webpage has been hacked. 

Historical sources read that the island first came underChinese control back in the 17th. However, in 1895, Taiwan was given to Japan after losing the first Sino Japanese war.

China took the island again in 1945 after Japan lost WWII. 

However, a civil war erupted in mainland China which the Communists won in 1949 and took control in Beijing.

Chiang Kai-shek and what was left of the nationalist party - known as the Kuomintang - fled to Taiwan, where they ruled for the next several decades.

China points to this history to state that Taiwan was originally its province.

But the Taiwanese point to the same history is that they never were the part of the modern Chinese state that was first formed after the revolution in 1911 - or the People's Republic of China that was established under Mao in 1949.