A US Navy guided-missile destroyer performed a so-called Freedom of Navigation operation (FONOP) near disputed Scarborough Shoal in the South China Sea on Wednesday, just two days after two Chinese military vessels collided while chasing a Philippine Coast Guard ship in nearby waters.

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

China’s military announced that it had monitored and “drove away” a US Navy destroyer that sailed close to the Scarborough Shoal in the South China Sea. This shoal is a small group of rocks and reefs but has become one of the most hotly contested areas in the region.

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 Philippines coastguard claims that a fighter tailed one of its aircraft and performed manoeuvres at close proximity.

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.