China’s foreign ministry has accused a US warship of entering what it claims as its territorial waters in the West Philippine Sea without permission and said it would take “necessary measures” to ensure its sovereignty is protected. The guided-missile destroyer USS Hopper came within 22.22 kilometers (12 nautical miles) of Scarborough Shoal in the South China Sea on Wednesday evening, a ministry spokesperson said on Saturday. China calls the shoal Huangyan Island, a disputed rock outcrop in the West Philippine Sea, part of the South China Sea claimed by the Philippines as well as China. It is called Panatag Shoal by Manila and lies 230 km west of Zambales province.

Gamil, J., & Yap, D. (2018, January 21). US Warship sails close to Panatag: China says US warship entered what it claims as its territorial waters in the West Philippine Sea. Philippine Daily Inquirer, pp. A1, A2.