• What is the history of this tension?

    Taiwan first appeared in Chinese records in AD239, when an emperor sent an expeditionary force to explore the area. First known settlers in Taiwan were Austronesian tribal people, thought to have come from modern day southern China. Taiwan was administered by China's Qing dynasty from 1683 to 1895.

  • What about recent hostility?

    Relations between China and Taiwan started improving in the 1980s. China put forward a formula, known as "one country, two systems, under which Taiwan would be given significant autonomy if it accepted Chinese reunification. Taiwan rejected the offer, but it did relax rules on visits to and investment in China. In 2000, when Taiwan elected Chen Shui-bian as president, Beijing was alarmed. Mr Chen had openly backed independence for Taiwan from China.

  • So who recognizes Taiwan?

    China regards Taiwan as a breakaway province which it has vowed to retake. But Taiwan's leaders say it is clearly much more than a province, arguing that it is a sovereign state. It has its own constitution, democratically-elected leaders, and about 300,000 active troops.

  • Up to one million Taiwanese people now live in China, many running Taiwanese factories. Some Taiwanese people worry their economy is now dependent on China. Others believe that closer business ties make Chinese military action less likely.