China claims it “drove away” a U.S. destroyer in the South China Sea after it “illegally intruded” into an area near Scarborough Shoal. The U.S. denied Beijing’s claim and said the ship was operating legally within international waters.
China’s statement
“The U.S. military’s actions have seriously infringed upon China’s sovereignty and security and severely undermined peace and stability in the South China Sea,” the People’s Liberation Army Southern Theater Command said in a news release on Wednesday.
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US responds
The U.S. Navy ship’s mission was meant to challenge Beijing’s claim over the waterway, a claim that a U.S. spokesperson classified as “excessive,” Bloomberg reported.
A Navy spokesperson, Lt. Sarah Merrill, said in an email to Bloomberg that the U.S. vessel continued basic procedures in the South China Sea after the incident.
“China’s statement about this mission is false. Nothing China says otherwise will deter us,” Merrill said.
“The operations demonstrate that the United States will sail, and operate wherever international law allows — regardless of the location of excessive maritime claims and current events,” she added.
Beijing claims virtually the entire South China, including waters belonging to other countries in the region. The territorial dispute has led to confrontations between Chinese ships and those from the U.S. and its allies.
International ruling
An international court ruled in 2016 that, based on historical boundaries, China had no right under international law to claim the South China Sea as its own. However, Beijing does not recognize the tribunal’s finding.
The U.S. engages in so-called “freedom of navigation operations” to promote the waterway for international use and challenge China’s sovereignty claims. Those claims are not widely recognized in the global community.
This is the first known U.S. military operation near Scarborough Shoal, about 125 miles offshore from the Philippines, in at least six years, according to Reuters.
Second incident this week
On Monday, two Chinese vessels collided during a pursuit of a Philippine Coast Guard boat near the Scarborough Shoal.
China blamed Manila for the mishap. The crash between a Chinese Navy destroyer and coast guard ship resulted in significant damage to the coast guard cutter’s bow, a Philippine Coast Guard spokesperson said on X.
The Chinese coast guard said it had performed the “necessary measures” to remove the ship from the waterway.
Manila called Beijing’s actions “dangerous” and an “unlawful interference” with a supply operation in the area.
