August 13, 2025 — China’s Southern Theatre Command claimed Wednesday that it tracked and “forced out” the U.S. Navy destroyer USS Higgins after it allegedly entered the disputed Scarborough Shoal waters without Beijing’s consent. Chinese officials called the move a “serious violation” of sovereignty and a threat to regional stability.

The U.S. Navy’s Seventh Fleet rejected the accusation, stating the operation was a lawful freedom of navigation mission under international law. According to naval records, this is the first known U.S. military operation inside Scarborough Shoal since 2018.

The mission came days after the Philippines accused Chinese coast guard vessels of dangerous maneuvers and unlawful interference during a supply run to local fishermen near the shoal. A separate incident saw two Chinese vessels collide while trying to block a Philippine mission.

In a show of support for regional navigation rights, the U.S. deployed both the USS Higgins and USS Cincinnati about 30 nautical miles from Scarborough Shoal. Meanwhile, a Chinese fighter jet intercepted a Philippine Coast Guard aircraft carrying journalists over the area—flying within just 200 feet, raising aerial safety concerns.

Located about 200 km from Luzon and inside the Philippines’ Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), Scarborough Shoal has been under de facto Chinese control since a 2012 standoff.

In 2016, the Permanent Court of Arbitration ruled that China’s historical “nine-dash line” claims in the South China Sea—including Scarborough Shoal—were invalid. Beijing continues to reject that decision.

China’s coast guard patrol days around the shoal surged from an average of 48 per month in late 2024 to 95 per month between August 2024 and May 2025, leading to frequent encounters with Philippine vessels, sometimes over 12 times in a single month.

While unfortified, the shoal is both a rich fishing ground and a strategic chokepoint on one of the world’s busiest shipping lanes, through which over $3 trillion in trade passes annually.

Under the 1951 U.S.–Philippines Mutual Defense Treaty, any attack on Philippine public vessels—even in disputed waters—could trigger U.S. defense commitments under Article III.

The U.S. regularly conducts Freedom of Navigation Operations (FONOPs) in the South China Sea to challenge excessive maritime claims. Recent operations have occurred near Mischief Reef, the Paracel Islands, and Triton Island—but not around Scarborough Shoal until now.

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