A Chinese military spokesperson on Saturday condemned the United States for the transit of the U.S. guided-missile destroyer USS John Finn and the oceanographic survey vessel USNS Mary Sears through the Taiwan Strait from January 16 to 17.

The Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Eastern Theater Command deployed naval and air assets to monitor and track the U.S. vessels' movements to ensure effective response and management, said Senior Colonel Xu Chenghua, spokesperson of the PLA Eastern Theater Command, in a written statement.

The PLA Eastern Theater Command remains on high alert to resolutely safeguard national sovereignty and security, as well as regional peace and stability.