China ‘Drove Away’ US Destroyer From South China Sea, Washington Says It Was Sailing Where International Law Allows

China’s military on Wednesday (13 August) claimed it monitored and “drove away” the USS Higgins, a US destroyer that sailed near the disputed Scarborough Shoal in the South China Sea, the Indian Express reported.

The US Navy said the operation complied with international law.

This was the first known US military operation in at least six years inside the shoal’s waters.

It came a day after the Philippines accused Chinese vessels of “dangerous manoeuvres and unlawful interference” during a supply mission at the atoll.

According to the Chinese military’s Southern Theatre Command, the USS Higgins entered the waters “without approval of the Chinese government”. It said the move “seriously violated China’s sovereignty and security, severely undermined peace and stability in the South China Sea,” and vowed to maintain a “high alert at all times”.

The US Navy’s Seventh Fleet said the destroyer had “asserted navigational rights and freedoms” near Scarborough Shoal “consistent with international law”.

It added, “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.”

China claims almost the entire South China Sea, despite overlapping claims from Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan, and Vietnam.

The US regularly conducts “freedom of navigation” operations to challenge restrictions it says violate the right of open passage.

The Scarborough Shoal, a key conduit for more than $3 trillion in annual maritime trade, has long been a flashpoint.

Earlier this week, the Philippines reported that two Chinese vessels collided in the area, the first such known incident. China’s coast guard said it had taken “necessary measures” to expel Philippine vessels.

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