China Says It Tracked U.S. Ship Near Sabina Shoal

China’s Southern Theater Command said it deployed forces to track and monitor the U.S. Navy ship USS Charleston near Sabina Shoal on October 20, alleging the vessel entered nearby waters without Chinese approval. The ship’s location and the legal status of its transit remain disputed. The command said the Charleston’s passage infringed China’s sovereign rights and put maritime security at risk. It called on the United States to stop such operations. The statement did not specify how close the ship came to the shoal or how many Chinese forces were involved. The U.S. Navy’s Seventh Fleet said the Charleston operated in international waters under international law, where China’s permission was not required. A Philippine military spokesperson also rejected China’s authority to require approval for transit through international waters and denied that the ship crossed into Chinese territory. The accounts differ over whether the ship entered waters requiring Chinese approval. The supplied information does not independently establish the Charleston’s precise route or position, leaving the competing legal claims unresolved. Sabina Shoal, in the Spratly Islands, is claimed by both China...