China dismisses US warship's Taiwan Strait transit as 'hyped up'

China has called a US warship's voyage through the Taiwan Strait a "hyped up" transit.

"The ship transited through a corridor in the Strait that is beyond the territorial sea of any coastal state," the fleet deployed in Asia-Pacific said in a statement on Monday.

In response, the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Eastern Theater Command said it closely followed and monitored the warship's transit through the Taiwan Strait.

"The US Navy hyped up the transit of a USS Milius guided-missile destroyer through the Taiwan Strait," said Senior Col. Shi Yi, spokesperson for the PLA Eastern Theater Command.

According to US Army’s 7th Fleet, its Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Milius (DDG 69) conducted a routine Taiwan Strait transit on Sunday through waters "where high-seas freedoms of navigation and overflight apply in accordance with international law."

On April 10, the same warship had sailed in the South China Sea, triggering joint flights of jets and voyages of naval frigates by Beijing "to track and monitor" the US Navy destroyer.

The voyage of the US warship through the Taiwan Strait comes days after China held large-scale exercises around Taiwan, an island nation.

It also coincides with Beijing's warning that "rocket debris may end up" near Taiwan.

Taiwan's Defence Ministry on Monday confirmed that it detected "some debris falling into the northern waters of Taiwan."

READ MORE: US naval destroyer sails through Taiwan Strait after China drills

Beijing-Moscow relations

On the other hand, Beijing is willing to work with Moscow to "safeguard" global and regional security and stability, China's defence chief told Russian President Vladimir Putin.

At a meeting on Sunday in Moscow, Chinese State Councilor and Defence Minister General Li Shangfu assured Putin that Chinese President Xi Jinping's administration intended to "fully implement" an understanding the two leaders reached last month. 

Beijing is also willing to "further strengthen the strategic communication between the two militaries and bolster multilateral coordination and cooperation so as to make new contributions to safeguarding global and regional security and stability," said Li, who is in Russia for an official four-day visit, his first overseas trip since being appointed as China's defence chief last month.

This comes after Xi paid a state visit to Russia last month.

According to a statement by China's Defence Ministry, Putin noted Xi's "recent fruitful Russia visit, during which they charted the course for the development of Russia-China relations in the new era, and agreed to further strengthen the strategic coordination between the two countries and deepen practical cooperation in such fields as economy, culture and education, among others."

"Military cooperation plays an important role in Russia-China relations," Putin said, expressing hope that "the two militaries will strengthen cooperation in joint training, professional exchanges and other fields, and that the strategic mutual trust between the two countries will continue to be deepened."

READ MORE: China to ban vessels from area near Taiwan over 'rocket debris'