Despite Beijing's protests, two US warships entered the Taiwan Strait through international waters. This is the first such action since US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's visit to the island in early August heightened tensions between Taiwan and China.
At that time, China responded to his visit by conducting large-scale military exercises.
In recent years, ships from the US Navy and several other Western nations, including Britain and Canada, have regularly passed through the strait, drawing Beijing's ire.
Washington states that the two missile cruisers show that they are committed to the principle of freedom of navigation in international waters.
