The United States Navy has firmly rejected assertions made by the Chinese military that it forced a U.S. destroyer to leave the vicinity of Scarborough Shoal in the South China Sea.

The disputed incident has added yet another layer of tension to an already volatile maritime environment, where overlapping territorial claims and strategic interests often collide.

On Wednesday, a spokesperson for the Chinese military’s Southern Theater Command alleged that the USS Higgins, a guided-missile destroyer, had unlawfully entered what Beijing considers its territorial waters.

According to Chinese officials, the vessel did so without prior authorization from the Chinese government.

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The command further claimed it had “drove away” the U.S. warship, arguing that its presence endangered China’s security and undermined regional peace.

The United States, however, responded quickly and emphatically to reject this version of events.

“China’s statement about this mission is false,” said Cmdr. Megan Greene, spokesperson for the U.S. 7th Fleet. “USS Higgins (DDG 76) conducted this FONOP [freedom of navigation operations] in accordance with international law and then continued on to conduct normal operations.”

Scarborough Shoal is claimed not only by China but also by Taiwan and the Philippines. Both Beijing and Taipei have rules that require foreign vessels conducting what they define as an “innocent passage” through the area to provide prior notification.

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The United States has consistently argued that such requirements are inconsistent with international law.

Greene pointed to the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, which states that all ships, including warships, are entitled to “enjoy the right of innocent passage” through territorial seas without having to seek permission.

The U.S. position is that any demand for notification infringes upon freedom of navigation and sets a dangerous precedent.

“The unlawful requirement threatens the freedom of the seas,” the 7th Fleet’s statement explained. This position reflects a long-standing U.S. policy of conducting regular freedom of navigation operations to challenge excessive maritime claims.

Greene reiterated that these missions are not about provocation but about maintaining internationally recognized navigational rights. “The United States is defending its right to fly, sail and operate wherever international law allows, as USS Higgins did here,” she said. “Nothing China says otherwise will deter us.”

The latest friction at Scarborough Shoal unfolded just one day after another incident that highlighted the risks of confrontation in the region. According to reports, two Chinese military vessels collided while in pursuit of a Philippine Coast Guard ship.

The incident occurred approximately 10.5 miles east of the shoal, in waters that are hotly contested.

The collision involved a China Coast Guard vessel and a People’s Liberation Army Navy ship. The Philippine Coast Guard had deployed to the area for a routine patrol, an action that appears to have triggered the Chinese pursuit.

The resulting accident underscores how quickly situations can escalate in contested waters, where close encounters between rival vessels are increasingly common.

The Philippines Department of National Defense did not hold back in its condemnation of the event. In a statement posted on X, the department labeled the Chinese military’s behavior as “atrocious and inane.”

The blunt language signals Manila’s frustration over what it sees as aggressive and unlawful conduct within its own claimed maritime territory.

Scarborough Shoal has long been a flashpoint in the South China Sea. It lies within the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone under the 1982 Law of the Sea Convention, yet China has maintained a near-constant presence there since 2012.

Its strategic location and rich fishing grounds make it a valuable asset, while its control carries symbolic weight in the broader contest for dominance over the South China Sea.

This latest episode reflects the wider geopolitical contest in the region, where the United States seeks to ensure open sea lanes and uphold international law, while China works to solidify its territorial claims.

At the same time, regional nations like the Philippines find themselves navigating a difficult balance between defending their sovereignty and avoiding escalation.

While both Washington and Beijing are well-accustomed to public disagreements over freedom of navigation operations, each incident carries the risk of miscalculation.

Naval maneuvers in close quarters, especially when combined with heightened political rhetoric, can quickly lead to confrontations neither side originally intended.

For now, the United States has made it clear that its operations will continue despite Chinese objections. China, for its part, is unlikely to alter its stance on what it considers territorial sovereignty.

Because these positions are fundamentally at odds, further incidents in the South China Sea seem almost inevitable.

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