China’s military announced on Tuesday that it deployed forces to track a US warship near a disputed shoal in the South China Sea while Taiwan reported a simultaneous maritime standoff with a Chinese Coast Guard vessel further north.
According to China’s Southern Theatre Command, the littoral combat ship USS Charleston entered waters surrounding Sabina Shoal in the Spratly Islands without Beijing’s permission. The Chinese military condemned the transit as an infringement on its sovereignty that threatens regional stability.
A spokesperson for the Philippine military rejected China's claim also stating the US vessel did not trespass into Chinese territory and emphasizing that no nation can demand prior authorization for lawful transit in international waters. Both Manila and Beijing claim sovereignty over Sabina Shoal, where maritime confrontations between the two nations have intensified in recent months.
The US Navy typically conducts these operations to uphold freedom of navigation in international waters, though it did not immediately comment on the incident.
In a separate confrontation on Tuesday, Taiwan’s Coast Guard reported a standoff after a Chinese Coast Guard vessel entered restricted waters near the Taiwan-controlled Pratas Islands. Taiwanese authorities dispatched the patrol ship Taichung to issue warnings also prompting an exchange of radio broadcasts regarding Taiwan's political status.
China claims nearly the entire South China Sea despite competing territorial claims from Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam. Tensions remain high as Western officials express growing concern over Beijing's expanding naval and coast guard presence across the region.
