The statement comes two days after Chinese ships collided during a confrontation with a Philippine government supply mission.
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.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.
