China announced on Wednesday that it had monitored the passage of two US warships through the Taiwan Strait, marking the first such transit since President Donald Trump took office last month, according to a statement from the Chinese Defense Ministry.
Li Xi, a spokesman for the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Eastern Theater Command, said that the Chinese military tracked and observed the movements of the two US ships from Monday to Wednesday, remaining on high alert throughout the process. He identified the vessels as the destroyer USS Ralph Johnson (DDG-114) and the oceanographic survey ship USNS Bowditch.
Li warned that these US maneuvers “send the wrong signals and increase security risks,” emphasizing that the PLA Eastern Theater Command “remains on high alert at all times to resolutely safeguard China’s sovereignty and security, as well as regional peace and stability.”
