A US Navy guided-missile destroyer conducted a Freedom of Navigation operation (FONOP) near the disputed Scarborough Shoal in the South China Sea on Wednesday. The move came two days after a Chinese military vessel collided with a Philippine Coast Guard ship while chasing the same vessel.
The USS Higgins, a 7th Fleet spokesperson said, asserted its navigational rights and freedoms in the area consistent with international law. However, China accused the US Navy of violating its territorial sovereignty.
China claims sovereignty over Scarborough Shoal, which is within the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone. However, Beijing has effectively controlled the shoal since 2012 by maintaining a constant coast guard presence nearby. The Philippines does not impose an advance notification requirement for foreign warships passing through its waters.
The US Navy defended its right to operate in the area, saying nothing China says will deter it. Wednesday’s FONOP was the first near Scarborough Shoal in over six years and the second in 2025, following one in May.
Tensions have been escalating at the shoal due to Beijing’s increasing claims of sovereignty and Manila’s pushback. The Philippine Coast Guard has conducted independent journalists on missions to document what it calls Chinese aggression.
China blamed the Philippines and its defense treaty ally, the US, for the recent collision, citing reckless maneuvers by the Philippine vessel that compromised navigational safety. However, experts argue the US Navy has not violated international law in conducting a FONOP near Scarborough Shoal.
Source: https://edition.cnn.com/2025/08/14/asia/us-navy-ships-disputed-south-china-sea-shoal-intl-hnk-ml