China has accused a U.S. destroyer of violating its sovereignty by sailing near the contested Scarborough Shoal in the South China Sea, a region fraught with territorial disputes. The Chinese military claims it “monitored and drove away” the vessel, marking heightened tensions in the strategic waterway.

This military maneuver by the U.S. marks the first in several years and follows allegations by the Philippines against Chinese ships for “dangerous maneuvers” during a recent resupply mission. The U.S. Navy, however, asserts its presence in the area is within international legal rights, maintaining their commitment to ensuring freedom of navigation.

The Scarborough Shoal, a flashpoint in ongoing geopolitical friction, lies in a sea route crucial to global commerce. Despite a 2016 international ruling against China’s sweeping territorial claims in these waters, Beijing repudiates the decision, continuing to assert its dominance, which has resulted in physical confrontations such as the recent collision of Chinese vessels, according to Manila.

(With inputs from agencies.)

China’s military said on Wednesday it monitored and “drove away” a US destroyer that sailed near the disputed Scarborough Shoal in the busy waterway of the South China Sea, while the US Navy said its action was in line with international law.

The first known American military operation in at least six years within the shoal’s waters came a day after the Philippines accused Chinese vessels of “dangerous manoeuvres and unlawful interference” during a supply mission around the atoll.

The USS Higgins is shown passing through the Taiwan Strait in 2022. Credit: AP

In a statement, the Chinese military’s Southern Theatre Command said the USS Higgins had entered the waters “without approval of the Chinese government” on Wednesday.

“The US move seriously violated China’s sovereignty and security, severely undermined peace and stability in the South China Sea,” it added, vowing to keep a “high alert at all times”.

China’s military said on Wednesday it monitored and “drove away” a U.S. destroyer that sailed near the disputed Scarborough Shoal in the busy waterway of the South China Sea, while the U.S. Navy said its action was in line with international law.

The first known US military operation in at least six years within the shoal’s waters came a day after the Philippines accused Chinese vessels of “dangerous manoeuvres and unlawful interference” during a supply mission around the atoll.

In a statement, the Chinese military’s Southern Theatre Command said the USS Higgins had entered the waters “without approval of the Chinese government” on Wednesday.

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“The U.S. move seriously violated China’s sovereignty and security, severely undermined peace and stability in the South China Sea,” it added, vowing to keep a “high alert at all times”.

The U.S. Navy’s Seventh Fleet said the Higgins had “asserted navigational rights and freedoms” near the Scarborough Shoal “consistent with international law”.

The operation reflected the U.S. commitment to uphold freedom of navigation and lawful uses of the sea, it told Reuters in an emailed statement.

“The United States is defending its right to fly, sail and operate wherever international law allows, as USS Higgins did here. Nothing China says otherwise will deter us.”

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China claims almost the entire South China Sea, despite overlapping claims by Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam.

The U.S. regularly carries out “freedom of navigation” operations in the South China Sea, challenging what it says are curbs on innocent passage imposed by China and other claimants.

The Scarborough Shoal has been a major source of tension in the strategic South China Sea, a conduit for more than $3 trillion of annual ship-borne commerce.

The actions of Chinese vessels in the shoal this week also resulted in a collision of two of them, Manila said, the first such known in the area.

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China’s coast guard said it had taken “necessary measures” to expel Philippine vessels from the waters.

In 2016, an international arbitral tribunal ruled there was no basis in international law for Beijing’s claims, based on its historic maps. China does not recognise that decision, however.

A fresh confrontation has emerged in the South China Sea as China’s military reported that it monitored and expelled a U.S. destroyer operating near the contentious Scarborough Shoal. The incident marks the first known U.S. military movement in the shoal’s waters in six years.

This development followed Manila’s accusations against Chinese vessels for “dangerous manoeuvres” during a supply mission near the atoll. China’s Southern Theatre Command criticized the U.S. for entering the waters without approval, claiming it violated China’s sovereignty and threatened regional stability.

The U.S. frequently carries out “freedom of navigation” missions in the South China Sea, contesting China’s expansive territorial claims which are not recognized by an international tribunal ruling in 2016. The Scarborough Shoal remains a hotspot in the region, a critical route for global commerce.

China’s military said on Wednesday it monitored and “drove away” a U.S. destroyer that sailed near the disputed Scarborough Shoal in the strategic busy waterway of the South China Sea.

The first known U.S. military operation in at least six years within the shoal’s waters came a day after the Philippines accused Chinese vessels of “dangerous maneuvres and unlawful interference” during a supply mission around the atoll.

In a statement, the Chinese military’s Southern Theatre Command said the USS Higgins had entered the waters “without approval of the Chinese government” on Wednesday.