A new incident of tension has occurred in the South China Sea, with the Chinese military announcing that it has “expelled” a US destroyer from an area that Peking considers its own, but ownership is disputed. The move adds a new episode to the already tense standoff between the world’s two largest military powers, and so far, Washington has not officially taken a position.

According to available information, the US Navy had dispatched the USS Higgins destroyer and the smaller USS Cincinnati warship to the area, approaching Scarborough Reef. It is a cluster of reefs and islets in the South China Sea, which is at the center of a long-running dispute between China and the Philippines.

A few days earlier, Chinese ships had clashed while pursuing a Philippine Coast Guard vessel.

As reported by Commodore Jay Tariella, coast guard officials were providing assistance to Filipino fishermen in Scarborough when the Chinese coast guard “executed a dangerous maneuver” that caused “significant damage” to the Chinese warship’s foredeck.

The Chinese government confirmed the incident and accused the Philippines of “forcibly invading” what it described as Chinese waters.