China said it sent forces to monitor the U.S. Navy’s USS Charleston near disputed Sabina Shoal on Tuesday, October 20, 2026, while the Philippines rejected Beijing’s claim that the ship had entered Chinese territory illegally.
China’s Southern Theater Command said the USS Charleston, a coastal combat ship, had entered waters near the shoal without Beijing’s approval. The command accused the United States of undermining China’s claimed right to control the area and regional security. The Philippines said the ship’s passage through international waters was lawful, according to a military spokesperson.
The spokesperson said no country could require prior permission for the passage. The U.S. Navy had not immediately commented on China’s account. Sabina Shoal, also called Escoda Shoal by the Philippines, lies in the Spratly Islands.
Several governments have overlapping claims in the islands. Tensions around the shoal have continued. The Philippine Coast Guard said a Chinese vessel rammed a Philippine boat there last month.
China blamed the Philippines for that incident. U.S. forces regularly operate in the South China Sea. Available reports did not establish whether the Charleston’s passage was part of a formal operation to assert the right to navigate freely.
The opposing accounts show how one naval passage can heighten the wider dispute between Beijing and Manila over access and control in the waters.