China has deployed naval forces to track a US warship near a disputed South China Sea shoal, while Taiwan reported a separate standoff with a Chinese coast guard vessel, escalating tensions across the strategic waterway. China’s military said the USS Charleston entered waters near Sabina Shoal in the Spratly Islands without Beijing’s permission on Tuesday, accusing Washington of violating its sovereignty and threatening regional stability.
The US Navy did not immediately comment. Washington routinely describes such deployments as freedom of navigation operations, challenging what it considers excessive maritime claims. The Philippines rejected China’s accusation, saying the US vessel had not entered Chinese territory and that prior permission was unnecessary for lawful passage through international waters.
Manila and Beijing both claim Sabina Shoal, where tensions flared last month following a collision involving a Chinese coast guard vessel and a Philippine boat. Separately, Taiwan’s coast guard said a Chinese vessel entered restricted waters near the Taiwan-controlled Pratas Islands, prompting a tense exchange of warnings between the two sides.
The incident comes amid increased Chinese coast guard activity around Taiwan. A US congressional review commission chair described patrols east of the island as “highly destabilising”, while Taiwan’s National Security Council Secretary-General, Joseph Wu, said Beijing had no legal claim to waters off the island’s eastern coast.
China claims sovereignty over almost the entire South China Sea and regards Taiwan as part of its territory, despite competing claims and objections from neighbouring countries.