Beijing has slammed Washington after two guided-missile destroyers sailed across the Taiwan Strait on Thursday, the thirteenth such mission through the contested waterway this year, adding to already fraught US-China relations.

The USS John S. McCain and USS Curtis Wilbur conducted a “routine Taiwan Strait transit” on December 31, the US Navy said in a statement, claiming the exercise complied with international law.

But the drill was met with fury from Beijing, with Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Wang Wenbin saying during a regular news briefing: “US warships have repeatedly flaunted their prowess in the Taiwan Strait, provoked and stirred up trouble.” (RT)