China firmly opposes any country's provocation and threats to its sovereignty and security under the pretext of freedom of navigation, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson said on Monday.

Spokesperson Lin Jian made the remarks at a daily press briefing in response to a query regarding the U.S. destroyer Higgins and the Canadian frigate Vancouver transiting through the Taiwan Straits on Sunday.

The Eastern Theater Command of the Chinese People's Liberation Army has responded to the matter, Lin said, stressing that Taiwan is an inalienable part of China's territory.

The Taiwan question is not an issue of freedom of navigation, but an issue related to China's sovereignty and territorial integrity, he said.