Tensions Escalate at Scarborough Shoal: US and China at Odds

Amid rising tensions in the South China Sea, China's military claims to have expelled a U.S. destroyer from the contentious Scarborough Shoal area. This marks the first recorded U.S. military operation in the region in six years, intensifying disputes following recent confrontations involving Philippine and Chinese vessels.

In a recent escalation of tensions in the South China Sea, the Chinese military announced Wednesday that it had monitored and expelled a U.S. destroyer, the USS Higgins, navigating near the contested Scarborough Shoal. The encounter marks the first known U.S. military operation in the shoal's vicinity in six years.

These developments come off the back of the Philippines accusing Chinese vessels of aggressive tactics while they carried out a supply mission in the same region. The Southern Theatre Command of China emphasized that the U.S. destroyer's actions seriously breached Chinese sovereignty and jeopardized regional peace and stability.

The South China Sea remains a focal point of international tension, with China's sweeping territorial claims challenged by various Southeast Asian nations. The Scarborough Shoal, in particular, is a crucial trade artery, further complicating the geopolitical stakes. While an international tribunal dismissed China's claims in 2016, Beijing continues to disregard this ruling.

(With inputs from agencies.)