China Says It 'Drove Away' US Warship Near Disputed Scarborough Shoal In South China Sea
According to China's Southern Theatre Command, the USS Higgins entered the waters 'without approval of the Chinese government'
China's military on Wednesday said it had monitored and 'drove away" a United States Navy destroyer that sailed near the disputed Scarborough Shoal in the South China Sea. The US, however, defended the mission, saying it was a legal operation under international law.
The incident marks the first known US naval operation inside the shoal's waters in at least six years and comes amid rising tensions between China and the Philippines over territorial claims in the region.
According to China's Southern Theatre Command, the USS Higgins 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," the Chinese military said, adding that its forces were on 'high alert".
The US Navy's Seventh Fleet rejected China's claims, calling the statement 'false". In an emailed response to Reuters, the fleet said the Higgins had conducted a 'freedom of navigation operation" 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," the fleet said.
Scarborough Shoal lies within the Philippines' exclusive economic zone, but China has effectively controlled it since 2012. The area is rich in marine resources and lies along a vital shipping route through which over $3 trillion in trade passes every year.
The latest US operation followed an incident earlier in the week in which the Philippines accused Chinese coast guard ships of 'dangerous manoeuvres and unlawful interference" during a resupply mission.
Manila also reported that two Chinese vessels collided during the incident, although Chinese media did not show footage of the crash.
On Wednesday, the Philippine coast guard said the Chinese ships had tried to 'completely block" access to the shoal. China's coast guard said it had taken 'necessary measures" to drive away Philippine vessels.
Chinese state-run Global Times claimed a Philippine ship had performed 'highly dangerous manoeuvres", citing video footage it said came from an unnamed source. The videos did not show any collision.
In 2016, an international tribunal ruled that China's broad claims in the South China Sea had no legal basis. Beijing has refused to recognise that ruling.
The US frequently conducts naval operations in the area to challenge China's maritime claims, saying they restrict free navigation guaranteed under international law.
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