China's military on Saturday said its forces had followed and warned a Canadian and an Australian warship, which were sailing through the sensitive Taiwan Strait, in a move it criticized as a provocation.

The People's Liberation Army's Eastern Theater Command said the Canadian frigate Ville de Quebec and the Australian guided-missile destroyer Brisbane were engaged in "trouble-making and provocation."

"The actions of the Canadians and Australians send the wrong signals and increase security risks," it said.