Beijing protests over USS Higgins’ presence near Scarborough Shoal while American navy says its presence is lawful.

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 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.

The Chinese military said on Wednesday (Aug 13) it monitored and "drove away" a US destroyer that sailed near the disputed Scarborough Shoal in the South China Sea, while the US Navy said its action was in line with international law.

China’s defence ministry accused Philippine Coast Guard vessels on Friday of “dangerous manoeuvres” in response to reports of a collision earlier