US Navy Guided Missile Destroyer Runs Free Operation of the Voyage (FONOP) contested on Scarborough Shawl in the South China Sea on Wednesday, just two days after two Chinese military vessels collided while chasing a Philippine Coast Guard vessel in nearby waters.
The presence of US ships in the area prompted the Chinese military to accuse the US Navy of violating territorial sovereignty, but said the US Navy had the right to be there.
“USS Higgins (DDG 76) has advocated the right to voyage and freedom of the South China Sea near Scarborough Reef. It is consistent with international law.”
China, the Philippines and Taiwan all assert sovereignty over Scarborough Shawl, which is approximately 140 miles (222 km) west of the Philippines’ main island of Luzon, within the exclusive economic zone of the Philippines.
However, according to the Asian Maritime Transparency Initiative, China has effectively dominated unmanned shallow waters since 2012, since 2012 and since 2012 by maintaining a nearly constant coast guard presence in nearby waters.
China and Taiwan each need advance notice of passage within the territory of the Reef in violation of international law that guarantees the right to “innocent passing” by foreign warships, Merrill said. The Philippines does not impose this requirement, she added.
Merrill denied previous claims by China’s Southern Theatre Command to “track, monitor, monitor, warn and expel U.S. warships for “violating China’s territorial sovereignty.”
“China’s statement about this mission is false,” Merrill said.
“The US defends the right to fly, sail and operate where international law allows, as USS Higgins did here. China would not say otherwise would block us,” Merrill said.
The USS Higgins, located near Scarborough Shawl on Wednesday, was not the only US warship, according to the Philippine Coast Guard.
Spokesman Jay Taliella said in a statement from X that the coastal combat ship USS Cincinnati was also nearby.
Merrill only confirmed to CNN that Cincinnati was active in the South China Sea.
Chinese ships collide with the South China Sea
Phonop on Wednesday was near the first Scarborough Shawl in over six years, according to Colin Co, a Singaporean researcher who holds the U.S. Freedom of Navigation Database, according to Colin Co, a researcher at S. Rajaratnam International Studies (RSIS) in Singapore.
It was also the second phonop of 2025 after one in the Splatley Islands in May.
According to KOH’s database, the US ran five people in 2023, then ran two Fonops in the South China Sea in 2024.
China says such a mission by the United States threatens sovereignty, peace and stability in the South China Sea.
Tensions around Scarborough Shoal, home to rich fishing grounds, are increasing as Beijing becomes more assertive by asserting sovereignty over most of the South China Sea.
Wednesday’s US naval operation took place two days after a Chinese navy guided missile destroyer and a Coast Guard vessel collided near shallow waters while chasing a Philippine Coast Guard vessel.
The collision caused major damage to the bow of a Chinese Coast Guard ship.
In a report by the state-run Global Times late Wednesday, Chinese experts were blamed on the incident in the Philippines on Monday and indirectly in the United States, an ally of the National Defense Treaty.
The Philippine Coast Guard vessel repeatedly carried out dangerous maneuvers in front of the Chinese Coast Guard vessel, according to a Global Times report, which states that it will not mention the existence of Chinese destroyers.
The media outlet reported that Chinese experts have said that “the operation of a Philippine ship severely violated the safety of the Chinese ship’s voyages and seriously violated the most fundamental principles and regulations of maritime voyages.”
The report was accompanied by a 26-second video clip. This is said to indicate the reckless behavior of the Philippine ship, but it did not show the moment of collision between the Chinese ships.
“The Philippines is fully liable for the resulting damages, and all losses must be borne by the Philippine ship that caused and caused the incident at sea,” the report said, with a possible reference to the collision, and China does not specifically acknowledge.
Former US Navy captain Carl Schuster reviewed CNN’s Global Times video and said that the Chinese ship is an overtaking vessel and is responsible for showing its intentions towards the Philippine ship.
“There is no evidence that they did that, and the Philippine Coast Guard vessels are not obligated to be strong,” Schuster said.
The Global Times article cited Yang Xiao, a maritime affairs expert at the Institute of Modern International Relations in China. He pointed out a finger of criticism to the US military for training Philippine allies with grey zone tactics.
Yang said the tactics violate “the internationally accepted norms of maritime law enforcement,” and “can lead to serious miscalculation at sea and increased risk of conflict.”
