Taiwan reports voyage of 2 US warships through Taiwan Strait

Taiwan's defense ministry says two U.S. warships have sailed through the Taiwan Strait, in a move likely to spark protests from Beijing.

The ministry said the ships made the passage on Sunday, sailing from south to north through the waterway that divides the self-governing island from mainland China.

Beijing frequently objects to such voyages based on its claim to Taiwan as its own territory to be annexed by force if necessary.

In a statement Monday, the ministry said U.S. ships were free to sail through the Taiwan Strait as part of their "strategic Indo-Pacific tasks."

China last week complained to France after a French warship entered Chinese territorial waters while traversing the Taiwan Strait, and blamed British naval activity in the South China Sea for a downturn in bilateral relations.