Pacific Fleet spokesman Capt. Charlie Brown called the passage of the ships "a routine transit."

"US Navy ships transit between the South China Sea and East China Sea via the Taiwan Strait, and have done so for many years," Brown said.

The move comes amid a trade war between the US and China and escalating tensions between Taiwan and China.

China has not yet reacted to the rare passage of American warships through the strait.

China and Taiwan separated during a civil war in 1949, and Beijing pursues reunification ever since. Chinese officials have never renounced the use of force to bring under China’s control what it sees as a wayward province.

China claims sovereignty over Taiwan, and almost all world countries recognize that sovereignty under a policy known as “One China.”