China urges U.S. to abide by "one China" after warships sail through strait

Hua Chunying, spokeswoman of China's Foreign Ministry, answers a question at a regular news conference, in Beijing, China, January 6, 2016. REUTERS/Jason Lee/File Photo

BEIJING (Reuters) - China's foreign ministry on Friday urged the United States to abide by its "one China" principle, after Washington sent two warships through the Taiwan Strait on Thursday, the first such operation this year.

The U.S. naval manoeuvre risked further heightening tensions with China, which considers Taiwan its own and has not ruled out using force to bring the self-ruled island under its control.

Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying made the remarks at a regular briefing, adding that China closely followed the U.S. warships' passage through the Strait.

(Reporting by Michael Martina; Writing by Christian Shepherd; Editing by Simon Cameron-Moore)