The United States Navy just carried out its first Freedom of Navigation Operation (FONOP) under the new administration near Scarborough Shoal. That would be their first service in that corridor in more than six years. This important move came during a period of escalating tensions in the South China Sea. Since 2012, China has maintained de facto control over the disputed shoal. The USS Cincinnati, an Independence-class littoral combat ship, participated in the Freedom of Navigation Operation. The guided-missile destroyer USS Higgins joined in, with both ships vigorously defending their navigational freedoms under international law.
This operation is the second Freedom of Navigation Operation (FONOP) the US has conducted in 2025. It echoes a like-minded mission that occurred in the Spratly Islands in mid-May. The US conducted only two FONOPs in the South China Sea in 2024 and only five in the entire prior year. These operations push back against what the US considers to be unlawful, excessive maritime claims made by China. They focus on areas of China’s activities that are thought to be contrary to or threaten international standards.
China continues to intimidate other claimants with a heavy coast guard presence around Scarborough Shoal. They further need 30 days advanced notice of any transit through their territorial waters. Many analysts consider this step, which Taiwan shares, illegal under international laws. Such laws ensure “innocent passage” for foreign military ships. For comparison, the Philippines has no such restrictions.
On March 31, just two days before the US Navy’s Freedom of Navigation operation, a Chinese guided-missile destroyer collided with a US coast guard ship. This latest incident unfolded near Scarborough Shoal as they pursued a Philippine Coast Guard vessel. This incident underscored the increasing militarization of the area and sparked fears over maritime safety.
“The full responsibility for the resulting damages lies with the Philippine side, and all losses should be entirely borne by the Philippine vessel that provoked and caused the incident at sea.” – Global Times report.
The US Navy’s operation was rightly condemned by China, which claimed the operation violated its territorial sovereignty. Yet, according to US Navy officials, this is exactly what they claim the right to do in these waters under international law. According to Lt. Sarah Merrill, “USS Higgins asserted navigational rights and freedoms in the South China Sea near Scarborough Reef, consistent with international law.”
Furthermore, Lt. Merrill emphasized that “the United States is defending its right to fly, sail and operate wherever international law allows, as USS Higgins did here. Nothing China says otherwise will deter us.”
There is understandable fear that miscalculations would add fuel to the fire and worsen already heightened tensions at sea. Yang Xiao, an expert on maritime law enforcement, warned that such incidents “could lead to serious miscalculations and heightened risks of conflict at sea.”
China’s Southern Theater Command claimed that it had “organized its forces to track, monitor, warn and expel” foreign vessels in the area, a statement that Lt. Merrill refuted as false. Despite the emphasis on cooperation, she reiterated that the US Navy would operate to “protect international norms” against Chinese claims and defend navigational freedoms.
This most recent Freedom of Navigation Operation (FONOP) further underscores the United States’ commitment to defending freedom of navigation in contested waters. It further heralds the continued friction between Washington and Beijing over freedom of navigation in the South China Sea. As the two countries continue to jockey for position in this new geopolitical environment, the story is still unfolding.
