The United States is disputing China’s claim that it chased away an American warship conducting a freedom of navigation operation near Scarborough Shoal on Wednesday. A U.S. guided-missile destroyer sailed near Scarborough Shoal two days after two Chinese ships collided near the disputed feature while chasing a Philippine Coast Guard vessel.

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,

The Chinese military said on Wednesday it monitored and "drove away" a U.S. destroyer that sailed near the disputed Scarborough Shoal in the South China Sea, while the U.S. Navy said its action was in line with international law.