BEIJING (Reuters) -China&nbsp;said on Thursday it had sent&nbsp;fighter&nbsp;jets&nbsp;to monitor and&nbsp;warn&nbsp;a U.S.&nbsp;Navy&nbsp;patrol aircraft that flew through the&nbsp;Taiwan&nbsp;Strait.
China&nbsp;claims sovereignty over democratically-governed&nbsp;Taiwan, and&nbsp;says&nbsp;it has jurisdiction over the narrow waterway.&nbsp;Taiwan&nbsp;and the United States dispute that, saying the&nbsp;Taiwan&nbsp;Strait&nbsp;is an international waterway.
Earlier on Thursday, the U.S.&nbsp;Navy's 7th fleet said the P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol and reconnaissance&nbsp;plane, which is also&nbsp;used for anti-submarine missions, flew through the&nbsp;strait&nbsp;in international airspace.
"By operating within the&nbsp;Taiwan&nbsp;Strait&nbsp;in accordance with international law, the United States upholds the navigational rights and freedoms of all nations," the&nbsp;Navy&nbsp;said, adding that the aircraft's transit demonstrates the United States' commitment to a "free and open Indo-Pacific".
China's military described the flight as "public hype", adding it had sent&nbsp;fighters to monitor and&nbsp;warn&nbsp;the U.S.&nbsp;plane.
"Troops in the theatre are always on high alert and will resolutely defend national sovereignty and security as well as regional peace and stability," the Eastern Theatre Command of the People's Liberation Army said in a statement.
Taiwan's defence ministry said the U.S. aircraft had flown in a northerly direction through the&nbsp;strait&nbsp;and stuck to its median line.&nbsp;Taiwan's forces kept watch the situation was "as normal", the ministry added.
China&nbsp;stages almost daily military activities of its own in the&nbsp;Taiwan&nbsp;Strait&nbsp;and seas and skies around&nbsp;Taiwan.
The United States last announced a Poseidon mission through the&nbsp;strait&nbsp;in July.
(Reporting by Beijing newsroom; Additional reporting by Ben Blanchard in Taipei; Editing by Kim Coghill and Miral Fahmy)

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China says sends fighter jets to warn US Navy plane in Taiwan Strait