Russian military planes and navy vessels, including two submarines, have come close to Alaska in the past week as Russia and China conducted joint drills.
The destroyer passed through the waterway between mainland China and Taiwan on Wednesday, less than two weeks before Taiwan's new president takes office.
U.S. Marines and their Filipino counterparts have staged joint combat drills near southern Taiwan, a flashpoint in the Washington-Beijing military rivalry.
The incident occurred near Scarborough Shoal, one of two hotly disputed areas where confrontations between the two countries have flared since last year.