Shi Yi, spokesman for the People’s Liberation Army (PLA), stressed in a statement that the passage of the destroyer USS Benfold (DDG-65) through the Taiwan Strait on Tuesday puts peace and stability in the region at risk.

“The constant provocation and show of force from the United States shows that it is the main creator of problems and destroyer of peace,” the official said, denouncing that it is also a sign of its hegemonic mentality.

Apart from rejecting the maneuver, the PLA mobilized its naval and air assets to monitor the course of the ship, and “will respond to all kinds of threats and provocations at any time,” the official added.

Since mid-2020, China has held multiple combat drills in the Taiwan Strait and other maritime areas aimed at safeguarding sovereignty and stability after Washington’s continuous military incursions.

The PLA considers the exercises a “necessary action” to protect national interests and test the joint combat capabilities of different Armed Forces branches.

The Foreign Ministry warned on Tuesday that Beijing would take strong and decisive action if the Speaker of the US House of Representatives, Nancy Pelosi, finally pays a visit to Taiwan in August, postponed since April.

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