The United States deployed two warships on Wednesday near the disputed Scarborough Shoal in the South China Sea, following a collision two days ago between two Chinese ships that occurred while attempting to drive away a smaller Philippine vessel, an incident that has alarmed several Western and Asian nations.
Both China and the Philippines claim Scarborough Shoal, along with other outcroppings in the South China Sea. Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei, and Taiwan also assert overlapping claims in the contested waters.
The USS Higgins, a guided-missile destroyer, and the USS Cincinnati, a littoral combat ship, sailed about 30 nautical miles (55 km) from Scarborough Shoal and were shadowed by a Chinese navy ship. There were no reports of any incident during the patrol, Philippine Coast Guard Commodore Jay Tarriela said, citing U.S. and Philippine surveillance sources.
The U.S. Navy has long conducted “freedom of navigation” and overflight operations in the South China Sea to challenge China’s claims and restrictions, prompting frequent close encounters with Chinese ships and aircraft in international waters.
The deployment came after U.S. Ambassador to Manila MaryKay Carlson condemned China on Tuesday for what she called “reckless action” against a Philippine vessel at Scarborough. The area, rich in fishing grounds, has seen repeated confrontations between Chinese and Philippine ships in recent years.
Wall Street welcomes U.S.-China tariff extension, shifts attention to inflation data
The clash occurred Monday when a Chinese navy destroyer and a Chinese coast guard ship accidentally collided while blocking the Philippine coast guard vessel BRP Suluan about 10.5 nautical miles (19 km) from Scarborough. Video footage released by the Philippine Coast Guard shows Chinese personnel on deck before the collision, which left the coast guard ship’s bow heavily damaged and the navy ship with deep dents along its hull.
Japan, Australia, and New Zealand expressed concern over the dangerous maneuvers in the busy trade route. Japanese Ambassador to Manila Endo Kazuya called for adherence to international law, while the Australian Embassy described the incident as “dangerous and unprofessional,” urging restraint and de-escalation.
Commodore Tarriela described the incident as a warning to China about the risks of reckless maneuvers, emphasizing adherence to anti-collision rules. He also reported that a Chinese fighter jet flew as close as 500 feet (152 meters) to a Philippine surveillance plane over Scarborough, carrying out risky maneuvers for about 20 minutes.
Source: Agency