"The PLA Eastern Theater Command organized naval and air forces to escort and observe [the US and Canadian ships] along the entire route in accordance with law and regulations," Shi said in a statement published on WeChat.
Chinese servicepeople maintain a high degree of combat readiness and are unwavering in defending national sovereignty and security, as well as regional peace and stability, the spokesman added.
Taiwan has been governed independently from mainland China since 1949. Beijing regards the island as its province, while Taiwan maintains that it is an autonomous entity but stops short of declaring independence. Beijing opposes any official foreign contacts with Taipei and regards Chinese sovereignty over the island as indisputable.