US Warships Sail Near Disputed Shoal After Chinese Ships Collide

A US Navy destroyer sailed near Scarborough Shoal in the South China Sea on Wednesday, just two days after two Chinese vessels collided while chasing a Philippine Coast Guard ship in nearby waters.

The guided-missile destroyer USS Higgins (DDG 76) conducted a Freedom of Navigation Operation (FONOP), the first near Scarborough Shoal in over six years, according to research by the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies in Singapore. It was only the second US FONOP in the South China Sea this year.

“USS Higgins asserted navigational rights and freedoms near Scarborough Reef, consistent with international law,” said Lt. Sarah Merrill, spokesperson for the US Navy’s 7th Fleet. She rejected Beijing’s claim that Chinese forces had tracked and expelled the warship.

“China’s statement about this mission is false,” Merrill said. “The United States will continue to fly, sail and operate wherever international law allows. Nothing China says otherwise will deter us.”

A second American vessel, the USS Cincinnati, was also in the area, the Philippine Coast Guard confirmed.

Beijing Pushes Back

China’s military accused the US of violating its sovereignty. Beijing has effectively controlled Scarborough Shoal since 2012, keeping a near-constant coast guard presence at the rich fishing grounds 140 miles west of the Philippines’ main island of Luzon.

China and Taiwan require advance notice from foreign ships passing through the waters, a demand the US says violates international law on innocent passage. The Philippines does not impose such a requirement.

Rising Tensions After Collision

The US operation followed a collision Monday between a Chinese navy destroyer and a China Coast Guard ship as they chased a Philippine Coast Guard vessel near the shoal. The crash caused heavy damage to the coast guard ship’s bow.

China’s state-run Global Times blamed the Philippines, accusing its vessel of reckless maneuvers and suggesting Washington trained Manila in so-called “gray-zone tactics.” The outlet said the Philippine ship should bear responsibility for damages.

But Carl Schuster, a former US Navy captain, told CNN the video evidence points the other way: the Chinese ship, as the overtaking vessel, was responsible for signaling its intentions.

“The Philippine Coast Guard vessel is under no obligation to heave to,” Schuster said.

Broader Dispute

The shoal is claimed by China, the Philippines, and Taiwan, but international law places it within Manila’s exclusive economic zone. Washington has repeatedly backed the Philippines, its treaty ally, against what it calls Chinese aggression.

With tensions escalating, analysts warn more collisions or confrontations could follow as Beijing presses its claims and the US increases patrols to challenge them.