China says it ‘drove away’ U.S. warship near the disputed Scarborough Shoal
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Diverging Reports Breakdown
Tensions Rise as U.S. Navy Confronts China’s Claims in South China Sea
China’s military reported that it monitored and drove away a U.S. destroyer near the disputed Scarborough Shoal in the South China Sea. China criticized the move as a violation of its sovereignty, while the United States defended the operation as an assertion of navigational rights.
This marked the first known U.S. military operation in the shoal’s waters in at least six years, a day after the Philippines accused Chinese vessels of dangerous maneuvers. China criticized the move as a violation of its sovereignty, while the U.S. defended the operation as an assertion of navigational rights.
With overlapping claims in the South China Sea by several nations, including China, Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Vietnam, tensions over this strategic maritime route continue to simmer. Past arbitration ruled against China’s expansive claims, a decision still rejected by Beijing.
(With inputs from agencies.)
Chinese fighter ‘intercepts’ Philippine plane over disputed shoal, says Manila
A Chinese jet fighter “intercepted” a Philippine aircraft carrying journalists during a patrol flight over the Scarborough Shoal on Aug 13, the Manila government said. The encounter lasted 20 minutes, during which radio demands from one of two Chinese navy ships spotted below, ordering the Philippine plane to “leave immediately”, could be heard from the cockpit. It was the latest sign of the persistent tensions between the two nations in the disputed South China Sea atoll. On Aug 11, China’s coast guard said it took necessary measures to expel Philippine vessels from waters around the shoal. China claims almost the entire South China sea via a U-shaped “nine-dash line” – a claim invalidated by a 2016 arbitration ruling.
– A Chinese jet fighter “intercepted” a Philippine aircraft carrying journalists during a patrol flight over the Scarborough Shoal on Aug 13, the Manila government said, days after two Chinese vessels collided in the area while allegedly trying to block a Philippine supply mission.
A Reuters journalist aboard the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) flight watched as the Chinese fighter closed in on the small Cessna Caravan turboprop.
At one point, the Chinese fighter came within about 60 m as it manoeuvred behind, above and alongside the plane, PCG spokesman Jay Tarriela said.
It was the latest sign of the persistent tensions between the two nations in the disputed South China Sea atoll.
“While they were conducting the flight, they were intercepted by a Chinese fighter jet,” Mr Tarriela told a press conference held afterwards.
The encounter lasted 20 minutes, during which radio demands from one of two Chinese navy ships spotted below, ordering the Philippine plane to “leave immediately”, could be heard from the cockpit.
The same day, two US warships – littoral combat ship USS Cincinnati and the destroyer USS Higgins – were spotted about 30 nautical miles away from the shoal, Mr Tarriela said.
China’s military claimed it “drove away” the US destroyer after it entered the area without permission, but Washington said its ships were conducting lawful freedom of navigation operations.
Located 200km off the Philippines and inside its exclusive economic zone, Scarborough Shoal is valued for its rich fishing grounds and sheltered lagoon.
On Aug 11, the PCG sent three vessels to carry supplies to dozens of Filipino fishermen in the atoll.
It said Chinese vessels then intervened to carry out what it called a “hazardous” attempt to prevent the delivery, leading to the first known collision between two Chinese ships in the area.
China has not confirmed if any crew members were injured and ignored Manila’s offer of medical and rescue aid.
Neither China’s Defence Ministry nor its embassy in Manila has commented on the incident.
On Aug 11, China’s coast guard said it took necessary measures to expel Philippine vessels from waters around the shoal.
The US also condemned Beijing’s “reckless” actions.
China claims almost the entire South China Sea via a U-shaped “nine-dash line” – a claim invalidated by a 2016 arbitration ruling that also found China’s blockade of the Scarborough shoal unlawful.
Sovereignty over the shoal remains unresolved, but China, which rejects the ruling, has maintained a constant presence at the reef since seizing it in 2012, deploying coast guard vessels and “maritime militia”.
At least four Chinese coast guard vessels and several ships, identified by the PCG as “maritime militia”, were visible in the area during the Aug 13 patrol flight. REUTERS
China fighter jet intercepts PH aircraft; warship tails 2 US Navy ships
A Chinese fighter jet intercepted and conducted dangerous maneuvers against a Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) aircraft near Bajo de Masinloc on Wednesday morning. PCG’s Caravan aircraft was conducting a maritime domain awareness (MDA) flight to check Chinese presence after Monday’s incident in the area. China’s military said Wednesday it monitored and “drove away” the American destroyer USS Higgins in the waters of the disputed Scarborough Shoal. US 7th Fleet spokesperson Lieutenant Cody Milam said the USS Higgins (DDG 76) asserted navigational rights and freedoms in the South China Sea near Scarborough Reef, consistent with international law. “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,” he said. Several Chinese vessels harassed Philippine vessels by using a water cannon, performing dangerous maneuvers, and shadowing. The West Philippine Sea refers to the country’s claim to parts of the West Sea, including parts claimed by the Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia and Brunei.
A Chinese fighter jet intercepted and conducted dangerous maneuvers against a Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) aircraft near Bajo de Masinloc on Wednesday morning.
In a press briefing, PCG spokesperson for West Philippine Sea (WPS) Commodore Jay Tarriela said PCG’s Caravan aircraft was conducting a maritime domain awareness (MDA) flight to check Chinese presence after Monday’s incident in the area.
“While we were also conducting an MDA flight, we experienced being intercepted by a Chinese J-15 fighter jet,” Tarriela said.
PCG Conducts MDA Flight Over Bajo De Masinloc
The Commandant of the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG), Admiral Ronnie Gil Gavan, has deployed this morning the PCG Caravan aircraft to conduct a Maritime Domain Awareness (MDA) flight over the Bajo De Masinloc (BDM) area. The mission… pic.twitter.com/hgmcaMpgsE — Jay Tarriela (@jaytaryela) August 13, 2025
“Approximately, it came close as near as 500 feet. And for 20 minutes, it conducted dangerous maneuvers with such distance. And even above the aircraft of the Coast Guard aircraft at an approximate height of 200 feet,” he added.
PLAN vessel 553 issued a radio challenge to the PCG aircraft.
Tarriela said the PCG aircraft also monitored four China Coast Guard (CCG) ships with bow numbers 5303, 4202, 3502, and 5306 near Bajo de Masinloc.
US vessels
Aside from these, Tarriela said two United States Navy ships were also spotted in the area around 30 nautical miles from Bajo de Masinloc or 102 nautical miles from Zambales.
According to Tarriela, PLAN vessel 568 was monitored tailing the two US naval ships.
“At the same time, while they were also flying over the vicinity of Bajo de Masinloc, they monitored the presence of PLA Navy 568 tailing the two US naval vessels,” Tarriela said.
Reuters reported that China’s military said Wednesday it monitored and “drove away” the American destroyer USS Higgins in the waters of the disputed Scarborough Shoal (Bajo de Masinloc) in the South China Sea.
China’s Southern Theater Command said the US ship had entered the waters “without the approval of the Chinese government.”
‘False’
In an email to GMA Integrated News, however, US 7th Fleet spokesperson Lieutenant Cody Milam said the USS Higgins (DDG 76) asserted navigational rights and freedoms in the South China Sea near Scarborough Reef, consistent with international law.
“This freedom of navigation operation (FONOP) upheld the rights, freedoms and lawful uses of the sea recognized in international law by challenging restrictions on innocent passage imposed by China and Taiwan,” the spokesperson said.
“China’s statement about this mission is false. USS Higgins (DDG 76) conducted this FONOP in accordance with international law and then continued on to conduct normal operations,” Milam said.
He added, “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.”
Milam also confirmed that USS Cincinnati (LCS 20) is currently conducting routine operations in the South China Sea.
Water cannon, collision
On Monday, the PCG and the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) headed to Bajo de Masinloc to distribute aid to local fishermen as part of the Kadiwa program.
Several Chinese vessels harassed Philippine vessels by using a water cannon, performing dangerous maneuvers, and shadowing.
According to the PCG, PLAN ship 164 and CCG vessel 3104 collided while they were chasing PCG’s BRP Suluan.
The CCG vessel sustained substantial damage, rendering it unseaworthy, while the flagpole of the PCG vessel was also damaged, the PCG said.
Bajo de Masinloc is located 124 nautical miles off Masinloc, Zambales, and is considered within the Philippines’ 200-nautical-mile exclusive economic zone (EEZ).
Tensions continue as Beijing claims almost all of the South China Sea, a conduit for more than $3 trillion of annual shipborne commerce, including parts claimed by the Philippines, Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Brunei.
Parts of the South China Sea that fall within Philippine territory have been renamed by the government as West Philippine Sea to reinforce the country’s claim.
The West Philippine Sea refers to the maritime areas on the western side of the Philippine archipelago including Luzon Sea and the waters around, within and adjacent to the Kalayaan Island Group and Bajo de Masinloc.
In 2016, the Permanent Court of Arbitration in the Hague ruled in favor of the Philippines over China’s claims in the South China Sea, saying that it had “no legal basis.”
China has refused to recognize the decision. — VDV, GMA Integrated News
China, US trade barbs over destroyer passage near disputed shoal
China’s military said on Aug 13 that it monitored and “drove away” a US destroyer that sailed near the disputed Scarborough Shoal. The US Navy said its action was in line with international law. The operation reflected the US commitment to uphold freedom of navigation of the sea, it told Reuters in an e-mailed statement. China claims almost the entire South China Sea, despite overlapping claims by Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam. The area is a conduit for more than US$3 trillion (S$3.8 trillion) of annual ship-borne commerce.
The Chinese military’s Southern Theatre Command said the USS Higgins had entered the waters “without approval of the Chinese government”.
– China’s military said on Aug 13 that 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 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 Aug 13 .
“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”.
In response, the US Navy’s Seventh Fleet said “China’s statement about this mission is false”, adding that the Higgins “asserted navigational rights and freedoms” near the Scarborough Shoal “consistent with international law”.
The operation reflected the US commitment to uphold freedom of navigation and lawful uses of the sea, it told Reuters in an e-mailed 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.”
China claims almost the entire South China Sea, despite overlapping claims by Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam.
The US regularly carries out “freedom of navigation” operations in the South China Sea, challenging what it says are curbs on passage imposed by China and other claimants.
The Scarborough Shoal has been a major source of tension in the South China Sea, a conduit for more than US$3 trillion (S$3.8 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.
The Philippine Coast Guard on Aug 13 said the objective of the two Chinese vessels was to “completely block” it from getting near Scarborough Shoal.
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, however, does not recognise that decision. REUTERS
US Navy Ship ‘Expelled’ From Disputed Waters, China’s Military Says
Two days ago, a collision occurred between Chinese ships seeking to disrupt a Philippine Goast Guard mission at the disputed feature. The Philippines has since 2024 increased its patrols there to assert its claim and deliver supplies to local fishermen. China claims sovereignty over most of the South China Sea, home to overlapping claims by the Philippines and several other states. The U.S. Navy frequently deploys sea and air assets in international waters to challenge claims that Washington believes infringe on the freedom of navigation. The United States has not released any information on the alleged patrol near Scarborough Shoal as of time of writing. It’s unclear whether a miscalculation could trigger Manila’s Mutual Defense Treaty with Washington—and potentially a conflict between the two superpowers. The Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs said it would lodge a diplomatic protest against China over its actions at Scarborough ShoAl over the next few days. The Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said the Philippines had “seriously harmed peace and stability at sea,” he said.
Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content.
China’s military says it drove U.S. Navy destroyer the USS Higgins from waters near Scarborough Shoal in the South China Sea on Wednesday morning.
Two days ago, a collision occurred between Chinese ships seeking to disrupt a Philippine Goast Guard mission at the disputed feature.
Newsweek reached out to the U.S. Seventh Fleet and the Chinese Foreign Ministry via emailed requests for comment.
Why It Matters
China claims sovereignty over most of the South China Sea, home to overlapping claims by the Philippines and several other states.
Scarborough Shoal, one of the most hotly contested features in China’s territorial dispute with the Philippines, sits within the U.S. treaty ally’s exclusive economic zone. While China effectively seized control of waters around the atoll in 2012, the Philippines has since 2024 increased its patrols there to assert its claim and deliver supplies to local fishermen.
Clashes at Scarborough and other South China Sea flashpoints have raised questions over whether a miscalculation could trigger Manila’s Mutual Defense Treaty with Washington—and potentially a conflict between the two superpowers.
What To Know
In a statement posted to Chinese social media, the People’s Liberation Army Southern Theater Command said the guided-missile destroyer USS Higgins had “illegally intruded” into the territorial sea around Scarborough Shoal, calling it a serious violation of China’s sovereignty and security.
The command “deployed forces and monitored and expelled it in accordance with law and regulations,” the statement added.
Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Higgins (DDG 76) pulls away from Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS George Washington (CVN 73) after conducting a fueling-at-sea while underway in the Pacific Ocean on November 7, 2024. Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Higgins (DDG 76) pulls away from Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS George Washington (CVN 73) after conducting a fueling-at-sea while underway in the Pacific Ocean on November 7, 2024. Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Lucas J. Hastings/U.S. Navy
A territorial sea extends 12 nautical miles (about 13.8 miles) from coastlines and high-tide features such as Scarborough Shoal. In 2016, an international arbitral tribunal rejected China’s expansive South China Sea claims.
The tribunal did not rule on sovereignty over the shoal; it recognized traditional fishing rights for Filipino and Chinese fishermen at Scarborough.
The U.S. Navy had not released any information on the alleged patrol near Scarborough Shoal as of time of writing.
The Navy frequently deploys sea and air assets in international waters to challenge claims that Washington believes infringe on the freedom of navigation.
China maintains patrols by the U.S. and other Western militaries in the region threaten peace and stability.
During Monday’s confrontation, a China Coast Guard ship slammed into a Chinese Type 052 destroyer while pursuing a smaller Philippine Coast Guard patrol boat that was part of a government mission to deliver food and fuel to fishermen.
Footage shows the collision severely damaging the coast guard cutter’s bow.
Ship-tracking data shared by the maritime analysis group SeaLight showed Chinese vessels on Tuesday sailing in a grid-like pattern consistent with search-and-rescue operations—suggesting personnel may have been thrown overboard by the impact.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said the Philippines had “seriously harmed peace and stability at sea.”
What People Are Saying
The Philippines Department of Foreign Affairs wrote in a statement: “The Department is seriously concerned by the dangerous maneuvers of two vessels of the People’s Liberation Army Navy and the Chinese Coast Guard and their unlawful interference with a routine humanitarian operation for Filipino fisherfolk in and around the territorial sea of Bajo de Masinloc, which is a longstanding and integral part of Philippine territory.”
Bajo de Masinloc is the Philippines’ name for Scarborough Shoal. In China, it’s known as Huangyan Island.
Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL) ranking member of the House Select Committee on the Strategic Competition Between the United States and the Chinese Communist Party, wrote in a statement this week: “China’s campaign to dominate the South China Sea by force threatens stability, peace, and prosperity across the Indo-Pacific, as the Philippines and other nations defend their legitimate interests. Beijing must comply with international law and immediately end its coercive maritime actions.”
What’s Next
The Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs said it would lodge a diplomatic protest against China over its actions at Scarborough Shoal.