Taipei, Apr 29 (AP) 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. (AP)

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)