China's military said it had followed and monitored the transit of guided-missile destroyer USS Finn and oceanographic survey ship USNS Mary Sears through the Taiwan Strait on Jan. 16 and 17, it said on an official WeChat account Saturday.

A ⁠spokesman for the Eastern Theater Command of the People's Liberation Army ⁠said in the ⁠statement that it remains "on high alert at all times" to "resolutely defend national sovereignty and security."

The Pentagon ⁠did ​not immediately respond to a request for comment.