The United States has deployed two warships to the disputed South China Sea near Scarborough Shoal. This follows a collision between Chinese navy and coast guard ships while they attempted to drive away a smaller Philippine vessel.

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.

American and Chinese naval vessels clashed near Scarborough Shoal in the South China Sea on Wednesday, escalating tensions in the disputed waters, a Navy spokesperson confirmed to the Daily Caller News Foundation.