The People's Liberation Army monitored and responded lawfully on Wednesday to a United States patrol aircraft flying through the Taiwan Strait, a defense spokesperson said.

In a statement on Wednesday, the PLA's Eastern Theater Command spokesperson, Li Xi, said that a U.S. P-8A anti-submarine patrol aircraft flew through the Taiwan Strait on Wednesday and publicly hyped it up.

The spokesperson said that the theater command organized warplanes to follow and monitor the U.S. aircraft's passage through the Strait and handled the incident following the law and regulations.

The official warned that the theater command stays on high alert at all times and is determined to defend national sovereignty, security, regional peace, and stability.