China Releases Footage of Encounter with US Warship
Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content.
China's state media has released footage it says shows the People's Liberation Army Navy challenging a U.S. warship near a contested South China Sea feature.
On the morning of August 13, the USS Higgins conducted a so-called freedom-of-navigation operation (FONOP) near Scarborough Shoal, a flashpoint in China's dispute with U.S. treaty ally the Philippines. Beijing said its forces "expelled" the Arleigh Burke–class destroyer—a claim the U.S. Seventh Fleet dismissed as "false."
Why It Matters
Since 1979, the U.S. Navy has routinely sent ships and aircraft to challenge what Washington deems excessive maritime claims.
Scarborough Shoal lies roughly 140 miles west of the main Philippine island of Luzon, well within the the country's maritime zone, and about 700 miles from China's Hainan Island. Beijing asserts sovereignty over the uninhabited atoll, as it does most of the South China Sea.
Newsweek has reached out to the Chinese defense ministry and Philippine coast guard with a written request for commment.
What To Know
Media Unlocked, a social media brand operated by the state-run China Daily, released footage that appears to show the encounter.
A Chinese ship, identifying itself as the Type 054A frigate Liuzhou (573), radioed that the USS Higgins had "illegally entered the territorial waters of Huangyan Island" (China's name for Scarborough Shoal) and ordered it to "alter your course and leave immediately."
Media Unlocked said the Higgins remained in "territorial waters" for about 90 minutes before the PLA Navy "drove it out."
"Same old U.S. playbook: provoke, then retreat," Media Unlocked wrote on X (formerly Twitter).
Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Higgins is seen in the Pacific Ocean on November 7, 2024.
Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Higgins is seen in the Pacific Ocean on November 7, 2024.
Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Lucas J. Hastings/U.S. Navy
The encounter took place two days after a Chinese navy destroyer and coast guard ship collided while attempting to drive away a smaller Philippine coast guard cutter near Scarborough Shoal. The bow of the Chinese coast guard vessel was severely damaged.
The episode, considered highly embarrassing for Beijing, was the latest in a series of dramatic confrontations between China and the Philippines since 2023.
Under international law, 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 sweeping South China Sea claims but did not rule on sovereignty over the shoal, though it recognized its importance as a traditional fishing ground for both Filipino and Chinese fishing vessels.
What People Are Saying
Commander Matthew Comer, Indo-Pacific Command spokesperson, told Newsweek: "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.
"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."
Liu Pengyu, spokesperson for the Chinese embassy in Washington, D.C., previously told Newsweek that China firmly opposes "willful trespassing" and "any country conducting unlawful provocations in the name of 'freedom of navigation' to harm the sovereignty and security of coastal countries and undermine regional peace and stability."
What's Next
China is expected continue patrols and other activities within the Philippines' exclusive economic zone. Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has vowed not to yield "one square inch" of Manila-claimed waters.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Newsweek
17 minutes ago
- Newsweek
Karoline Leavitt gives update on Trump's plan to "eliminate" mail-in voting
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt responded to a question about President Donald Trump's plans to "eliminate" mail-in voting in the U.S. A reporter asked during Tuesday's press briefing, "President Trump says he plans to "eliminate" mail-in voting. States administer elections not federal authorities. Can you provide any more details about how the White House plans to eliminate that?" Leavitt responded, in part, "When Congress comes back to Washington, I'm sure there will be many discussions with our friends on Capitol Hill and also our friends in state legislatures to ensure that we're protecting the integrity of the vote." She continued, "The president wants to make it easier for Americans to vote and harder for people to cheat in our elections. He wants to ensure our election integrity. There were great efforts made in 2024. I won't get ahead of myself for Hatch Act reasons to get ahead for the next election, but I can assure you this is a priority for the president." Reporter: States administer elections not federal authorities. Can you give details about how the white house plans to [eliminate mail-in voting]? Leavitt: The president wants to make it easier to vote and harder to cheat… I won't get ahead of myself for Hatch Act reasons to… — Acyn (@Acyn) August 19, 2025 This is a breaking news story. Updates to follow.
San Francisco Chronicle
an hour ago
- San Francisco Chronicle
Mark Hamill says he almost left U.S. after Trump win. Then his wife pulled a Jedi mind trick
' Star Wars ' actor Mark Hamill says he was planning to move to Europe after Donald Trump was elected to a second term as president — until his wife made him reconsider. The Oakland native, who shot to fame as Luke Skywalker, has been an outspoken liberal for decades, and told the Times of London that after Trump defeated incumbent Joe Biden in November 2024, he gave his wife Marilou York the choice of moving with him to Ireland or London. 'She's very clever,' Hamill said in the interview posted Saturday, Aug. 16. 'She didn't respond right away but a week later she said, 'I'm surprised you would allow him to force you out of your own country.'' Hamill suddenly realized his wife of 47 years was right. ''That son of a bitch,' I thought,' Hamill said of Trump. ''I'm not leaving.'' Other celebrities, such as Rosie O'Donnell and Ellen DeGeneres, have left America after Trump's victory. But Hamill is staying despite his deep disdain for the president. 'The bullying, the incompetence, the people in place,' Hamill said of Trump. 'The only way I can deal with it without going crazy and wanting to open my veins in a warm tub is to look at it like a thick, sprawling political novel. It's entertaining in a way because this could actually be the end. 'Our status in the world has been crippled and that will reverberate for decades. Making Canada a 51st state? Do you know how offensive that is? And then taking over Greenland and renaming the Gulf of Mexico. The distractions are hilarious.' The Hamills would seem to have had an extra incentive to leave the U.S. after the Malibu neighborhood that contains their longtime home was ravaged by the Los Angeles County wildfires in January. Hamill told the Chronicle in June that while their home survived, it is uninhabitable because of the condition of the neighborhood. They are renting a house until they are able to return to their home. Hamill told the Chronicle he considers the Bay Area his spiritual home. His father was a U.S. Navy captain stationed in the Bay Area when he was born, and still has family here, including his older brother William, a psychiatrist. The Hamills' second son, Griffin, was born in San Francisco in 1983 when Mark Hamill was performing onstage in Peter Shaffer's 'Amadeus.'
Newsweek
an hour ago
- Newsweek
Student Loan Update: Lawmakers Issue Warning Over Change Impacting Millions
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Vermont Independent Senator Bernie Sanders and 10 Senate Democrats sent a letter to Education Secretary Linda McMahon on Tuesday, demanding explanations after the Trump administration paused student loan forgiveness under the Income-Based Repayment (IBR) plan. This is a move the senators said would harm borrowers who had been in repayment for two decades or more. Newsweek reached out to Sanders and the Department of Education for comment via email. Why It Matters The senators said the pause has created confusion for borrowers who have made payments for decades and could result in denials of legally mandated relief or unexpected tax bills. Some 3 million borrowers are part of the IBR program, according to Sanders' press release. More than 40 million Americans carry federal student loan debt, and the outstanding nationwide balance exceeds $1.7 trillion. Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) questions Susan Monarez, President Donald Trump's nominee to be the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention... Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) questions Susan Monarez, President Donald Trump's nominee to be the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), during her confirmation hearing before the Committee in the Dirksen Senate Office Building on June 25, 2025 in Washington, D.C. MoreWhat To Know Sanders led the group of senators in the letter to McMahon, who was nominated by President Donald Trump, that demanded clarity on the pause. The other senators were: Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Tim Kaine (D-Va.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Peter Welch (D-Vt.), Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) and Jack Reed (D-R.I.). The lawmakers also criticized the lack of notice to borrowers and Congress and warned that affected borrowers could face tax liabilities if forgiveness did not proceed. "At a time when Americans across the country are struggling to meet the costs of health care, food, housing, child care and other basic needs, it is unacceptable for the Trump administration to take any action that delays or denies legally mandated debt relief to borrowers that have been in repayment for two decades or more," says the letter. "The department should not require borrowers who have fulfilled their legal repayment obligations to continue paying with no guarantee or timeline for relief," it adds. The Trump administration has also reduced the number of income-driven plans and introduced rules that included a minimum monthly payment even for borrowers with no income. There will also be higher payment formulas tied to income bands, and a 30-year repayment term before eligibility for forgiveness. These measures could increase costs for many borrowers compared with prior plans, experts say. "Historically, any time there is a change in law or federal programs, it was on a going-forward basis, and those already in the system were 'grandfathered' in," Drew Powers, the founder of Illinois-based Powers Financial Group, told Newsweek. "An indefinite pause for all borrowers is in stark contrast to how things are usually done." The new transition rules require borrowers who consolidated through the federal direct loan program beginning July 1, 2026, to choose between Repayment Assistance Plan (RAP) and the standard plan. Under RAP, your monthly payments for each year are determined based on your income, and after a fixed term, you would qualify for student loan forgiveness. However, it differs from other IDR plans because it has higher monthly payments and uses a different formula where the percentage of income that is counted toward your monthly payment increases for every $10,000 in additional income earned by the borrower with a cap of $100,000. Other IDR plans use a fixed repayment formula and factor in inflation. Prior payment plans would be phased out through 2028, which could force difficult choices for borrowers. "The administration says the pause is about ensuring accurate tracking of qualifying payments. The program hasn't ended. It's simply on hold. IBR is still safe for now, even as other plans like SAVE, PAYE, and ICR are phased out. Officials have assured borrowers that forgiveness will resume once the system issues are resolved," Kevin Thompson, the CEO of 9i Capital Group and the host of the 9innings podcast, told Newsweek. "For borrowers, though, it creates uncertainty. You're expected to keep making payments as scheduled, and while any overpayments should eventually be refunded, the reality is you're left in limbo." What People Are Saying Alex Beene, a financial literacy instructor for the University of Tennessee at Martin, told Newsweek: "The Trump Administration paused some of the income-based repayment options as it reassessed both the legality of some of them and how they align with the priorities of the administration. The problem, obviously, is for the many student borrowers who have previously qualified, it burdens them with potentially higher monthly payments and financial difficulties on a more than likely lower income." Michele Zampini, associate vice president of federal policy and advocacy at The Institute for College Access & Success (TICAS), told Newsweek: "Borrowers have upheld their end of their bargain by making decades of payments and are legally entitled to have any remaining balance discharged under the IBR program. With little explanation, the Education Department is failing to uphold its responsibility to process these discharges, and has given borrowers no clarity as to when this will be resolved. This delay is especially concerning given that loans discharged after 2025 are subject to a heavy tax liability, even if they should have been discharged before the tax change goes into effect." Drew Powers, the founder of Illinois-based Powers Financial Group, told Newsweek: "These senators are outraged, and their constituents will soon follow, because this is essentially changing the rules halfway through the game. The affected Student loan borrowers chose Income-Based Repayment (IBR) with the obligation to pay a percentage of their income every single month for 20 to 25 years and the right to loan forgiveness of the remaining balance after that time. There are now borrowers who made this deal 24 years ago, and in July had the rug pulled out from under them. How is this okay?" What Happens Next Borrowers who relied on IBR or other legacy income-driven plans face deadlines to consolidate or select new repayment options as the administration phases prior plans out through 2028. Experts warn those transitions could raise defaults and costs for some borrowers. "In the end, this only hurts middle- and lower-income workers who have been paying back the government on a high interest loan for 20-25 years," Powers said. "They did what they were supposed to do, they have paid back what they borrowed and then some, they just don't make a lot of money. I don't see how these are the borrowers anyone is mad at."
