Chinese Army Says US 'Made a Fuss' by Sending Warship to Pass Through Taiwan Strait

BEIJING (Sputnik) - A US destroyer's passage through the Taiwan Strait put China's People's Liberation Army (PLA) on high alert amid local tensions, with the Chinese military monitoring the ship's movements along the entire route, a PLA spokesperson said on Friday.

On Thursday, US guided-missile destroyer Chung-Hoon transited through the neutral waters of the Taiwan Strait in a demonstration of the United States' commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific.

"USS Chung-Hoon passed through the Taiwan Strait on January 5 and made a fuss," PLA Eastern Theater Command spokesperson Shi Yi said on social media.

China's armed forces monitored the passage of the US destroyer along its entire route, making sure all of its movements were under control, the statement read.

Taiwan and China have been at odds since the end of a civil war in 1949. Beijing has insisted that other countries should respect the one-China principle after a visit of US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to Taipei in August 2022 unleashed a wave of political pilgrimage to Taiwan.