China says it "effectively" handled Dutch warship in Taiwan Strait

"Forces of the PLA ETC will stay on high alert at all times and resolutely safeguard China's sovereignty and security, as well as regional peace and stability," Xu Chenghua, spokesperson of the PLA Eastern Theatre Command, said in a Friday statement.

A spokesperson for the Dutch Navy could not be immediately reached for comment.

In addition to claiming sovereignty over democratically governed Taiwan, Beijing views the narrow, highly strategic strait as Chinese territorial waters.

(Reporting by Beijing Newsroom; Additional reporting by Stephanie van den Berg in The Hague; Editing by Louise Heavens, Toby Chopra and Tomasz Janowski)