US warships near Scarborough Shoal spark tensions with China in the South China Sea.

The US deployed two warships near the disputed Scarborough Shoal in the South China Sea, where a recent clash occurred between Chinese and Philippine vessels. China claims the US destroyer USS Higgins intruded without permission, while the US asserts it was exercising navigational rights under international law. This incident highlights ongoing tensions in the strategic waterway, crucial for over $3 trillion in annual trade, amidst overlapping territorial claims by China and other nations like the Philippines and Vietnam.