Scarborough Shoal, located about 120 nautical miles west of the Philippine island of Luzon, has been a recurring source of friction between China, the Philippines, and other regional claimants. China’s Southern Theatre Command alleged that the USS Higgins entered the area “without approval from the Chinese government,” prompting naval and air assets to shadow and expel the vessel. Washington has long rejected Beijing’s claims, which extend over most of the South China Sea despite competing claims from Brunei, Malaysia, Vietnam, and Taiwan. The US frequently conducts similar operations to challenge restrictions it considers inconsistent with the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea.

The latest transit coincided with heightened tensions following the Philippines’ report of “dangerous manoeuvres” by Chinese vessels earlier in the week, which Manila said led to a collision between two Chinese ships. Philippine officials described the interference as a violation of their sovereign rights, while China’s coast guard insisted it had taken “necessary measures” to remove Philippine vessels from what it regards as its own territory.

Legal Disputes And Strategic Significance

The Scarborough Shoal dispute sits at the centre of a broader legal and geopolitical battle over control of the South China Sea. In 2016, an international arbitral tribunal in The Hague ruled that China’s “nine-dash line” claims had no legal basis, a decision Beijing continues to reject. The US Navy, in its statement to Reuters, reaffirmed that it will “fly, sail, and operate wherever international law allows,” and said that China’s objections will not alter these operations.

The shoal’s location makes it strategically critical, lying along key shipping lanes through which more than $3 trillion in goods transit annually. Analysts note that control over the feature would provide significant leverage over both commercial and military movements in the region. With China continuing to expand its maritime presence and the US reinforcing its naval commitments to allies, the Scarborough Shoal remains a flashpoint with potential to trigger broader confrontations between major powers.