China voices concern on warship in Straits

Beijing said on Thursday it has expressed concerns to Washington over a US warship's transit through the Taiwan Straits. It also urged the United States to handle Taiwan-related issues cautiously and properly and to avoid impairing China-US ties and peace across the Straits.

The USS Antietam passed through the Taiwan Straits on Wednesday and Thursday, according to the Associated Press.

China closely followed and monitored the guided missile cruiser's passage from start to finish, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said.

Hua urged the US to observe the one-China principle and the stipulations of the three China-US joint communiques.

"The Taiwan question is the most important and most sensitive issue in China-US ties," she said.

The passage closely followed China's issuing a white paper on national defense.

The white paper, released on Wednesday, said, "The fight against separatists is becoming more acute," and, "The Taiwan authorities, led by the Democratic Progressive Party, stubbornly stick to 'Taiwan independence'."

China adheres to the principles of "peaceful reunification", and "one country, two systems", but makes no promise to renounce the use of force and reserves the option of taking all necessary measures, according to the white paper.

Teng Jianqun, director of the China Institute of International Studies' Department for American Studies, said the US warship's passage is a provocative move, but its influence is limited.

China is "completely capable of dealing with such challenges", Teng said, adding that such behavior by the US will only strengthen China's will to safeguard its unity.

Taiwan leader Tsai Ing-wen made stops this month in the US on her way to and back from the Caribbean Sea region. The trip came just days after the US announced its State Department had approved a planned arms sale to Taiwan worth an estimated $2.2 billion.

China urged the US to cancel the sale, and said it would impose sanctions on US companies involved in it.