US destroyer transits Straits, causes provocation

The People's Liberation Army's Eastern Theater Command stands ready to respond to any provocation at any time, a military spokesman said on Wednesday, in reaction to the presence of a US warship in the Taiwan Straits.

The guided missile destroyer USS Curtis Wilbur transited the Taiwan Straits on Tuesday and the PLA Eastern Theater Command sent naval and air forces to monitor the vessel throughout its passage, Senior Colonel Zhang Chunhui, command spokesman, said in the statement.

He said the US was playing the same old trick by trying to make trouble and disrupt the Taiwan Straits and was intentionally sabotaging regional security, causing serious harm to peace and stability across the Straits.

"This fully demonstrates that the US is the biggest risk to regional security, and we firmly oppose this action," he said.

Zhang added that the Eastern Theater Command maintains a high level of alert, and is ready to respond to all threats at all times to resolutely defend national sovereignty and territorial integrity.