China’s Military Says It ‘Drove Away’ US Destroyer Near Scarborough Shoal
China’s military said on Wednesday it monitored and “drove away” a US destroyer that sailed near the disputed Scarborough Shoal in the strategic busy waterway of the South China Sea.
The first known US military operation in at least six years within the shoal’s waters came a day after the Philippines accused Chinese vessels of “dangerous maneuvers and unlawful interference” during a supply mission around the atoll.
In a statement, the Chinese military’s Southern Theater Command said the USS Higgins had entered the waters “without approval of the Chinese government” on Wednesday.
“The US move seriously violated China’s sovereignty and security, severely undermined peace and stability in the South China Sea,” it added, vowing to keep a “high alert at all times”.
The US Indo-Pacific Command declined to comment, referring questions to the US Navy’s 7th Fleet, which did not immediately respond. The US embassy in Beijing, the Chinese capital, also offered no immediate comment.
