China Deploys Naval Forces to Monitor US Warship Near Disputed South China Sea Shoals
China's military reports tracking and expelling US warships from disputed waters near Scarborough Shoal and Sabina Shoal, escalating regional tensions.
POLICY WIRE — Beijing, China — China’s military announced on Wednesday that it tracked and forced the departure of a United States Navy destroyer that navigated near the contested Scarborough Shoal in the South China Sea.
The Southern Theater Command stated that it ordered forces to track, monitor, warn, and expel the guided-missile destroyer USS Higgins from the area. The shoal is currently subject to overlapping sovereignty claims by China, Taiwan, and the Philippines.
While the Chinese military characterized the presence of the vessel as an illegal entry, the United States defended the mission as a lawful operation conducted in accordance with international law. This event represents the first documented US naval operation within the waters of the shoal in at least six years.
Separately, the Chinese navy reported on Tuesday that it had deployed forces to monitor a US littoral combat ship that entered waters near Sabina Shoal in the Spratly Islands. Beijing alleged that this movement occurred without its consent and posed a direct threat to maritime security.
These incidents occur against a backdrop of heightened regional friction, including a recent collision involving a Chinese Coast Guard vessel. The Scarborough Shoal, referred to as Bajo de Masinloc in the Philippines and Huangyan Island in China, remains a significant flashpoint for maritime disputes in the region.
Reporting by Policy-Wire (PW)
