US Navy sailing warship into Taiwan Strait prompts fiery response from China: 'Trouble and provocation'

 The Chinese government accused the United States of causing "trouble and provocation" in a statement on Thursday after the US Navy dispatched a warship through the sensitive Taiwan Strait.

"US warships and aircraft have carried out acts of disturbance and provocation on China's doorstep, and conducted large-scale, high-frequency strikes in the waters and airspace around China," Chinese Defense Ministry spokesman Colonel Wu Qian told reporters at a monthly briefing. Have carried out such activities."

The comments came after the USS John Finn passed through a corridor in the Taiwan Strait for the first time since Taiwan hosted presidential elections. The US Navy defended the action, saying that the destroyer's path was "beyond the territorial sea of any coastal state."

A Defense Ministry spokesman said China would "continue to conduct relevant military operations" in and around the Taiwan Strait.

China officially claims Taiwan, which is democratically ruled and operates autonomously within its sovereignty. The US and most other countries recognize this so-called "One China" policy and formally agree that Taiwan is part of China.

In the island's most recent presidential election, two leading candidates presented competing views on how Taiwan should relate to mainland China. Taiwanese people in January elected William Lai, who had campaigned on maintaining distance from Beijing. The President-elect will be inaugurated in May.

During the briefing, Wu also accused the Philippines of "violating China's sovereignty and carrying out provocations in the South China Sea" for attempting to strengthen construction in the disputed Spratly Islands. The spokesperson also said that Manila was "in collusion with external powers."

China also denied providing any weapons or equipment to the Middle East. The Israeli military had accused China of involvement as it claimed it had found Hamas militants using Chinese-made weapons in the Gaza Strip.