United States rejects China's trespassing claims in South China Sea

The United States has rejected claims from Beijing that the USS Charleston, a Navy littoral combat ship, trespassed into Chinese territorial waters. The dispute arose after the vessel sailed near Sabina Shoal, a coral atoll in the contested Spratly Islands located approximately 75 nautical miles west of the Philippine island of Palawan.

China dispatched naval warships to monitor the USS Charleston's movements, with Chinese military officials accusing the U.S. of “infringing upon China’s sovereignty rights and interests.” In response, a U.S. State Department spokesperson asserted that the United States will “fly, sail, and operate wherever international law allows, including the South China Sea,” citing the right to freedom of navigation.

Washington urged China to cease “risky and unlawful behaviour” and adhere to the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea. The U.S. also referenced the 2016 Arbitral Tribunal ruling in The Hague, which determined that China’s maritime claims in the region have no legal basis. The Philippines maintains that Sabina Shoal, which it calls Escoda Shoal, falls within its 200-nautical-mile Exclusive Economic Zone.