Navy Denies China Chased off U.S. Warship from Scarborough Shoal
Mallory Shelbourne
August 13, 2025 10:11 AM
USS Higgins conducted a Taiwan Strait transit on Sept. 20, 2022. US Navy Photo
The United States is disputing China’s claim that it chased away an American warship conducting a freedom of navigation operation near Scarborough Shoal on Wednesday.
A U.S. guided-missile destroyer sailed near Scarborough Shoal two days after two Chinese ships collided near the disputed feature while chasing a Philippine Coast Guard vessel.
USS Higgins (DDG-76) sailed within 12 nautical miles of Scarborough Shoal, which China, Taiwan and the Philippines each claim, in the second publicly announced freedom of navigation operation under the Trump administration.
“China’s statement about this mission is false,” a spokesperson for U.S. 7th Fleet said in a statement. “USS Higgins (DDG-76) conducted this FONOP in accordance with international law and then continued on to conduct normal operations. The operation reflects our commitment to uphold the freedom of navigation and lawful uses of the sea as a principle. The United States is defending its right to fly, sail and operate wherever international law allows, as USS Higgins did here. Nothing China says otherwise will deter us.”
https://news.usni.org/2025/08/13/navy-denies-china-chased-off-u-s-warship-from-scarborough-shoal
