China's military claimed on Wednesday that it "drove off" a U.S. ship which was sailing near the disputed Scarborough Shoal, in the busy strategic waterway of South China Sea.

The Philippines had accused Chinese vessels during a supply trip around the atoll of "dangerous maneuvers and unlawful interference".

The Southern Theatre Command of the Chinese Military said in a statement that the USS Higgins entered the waters on Wednesday "without the approval of the Chinese Government".

The U.S. action violated China's security and sovereignty, and severely undermined the peace and stability of the South China Sea, it said, adding that they would remain "highly alert" at all times.

Requests for comment from the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command or the U.S. Embassy in Beijing, China's capital, were not immediately responded to.

China claims nearly the entire South China Sea despite claims from Brunei and other countries such as Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Taiwan, and Vietnam.

The United States conducts "freedom-of-navigation" operations regularly in the South China Sea. It challenges what it claims are restrictions on passage imposed upon China and other claimants.

The Scarborough Shoal is a major source for tension in the South China Sea. It's a channel of more than $3 trillion worth of ship-borne trade every year.

Manila reported that the actions of Chinese ships in the shoal last week resulted in two collisions, the first of its kind in the region.

China's coastguard said that it had taken the "necessary steps" to remove Philippine vessels from its waters.

A 2016 international arbitral court ruled that Beijing's claims based on historical maps were not backed by international law. China, however, does not recognize that decision. Reporting by Beijing Newsroom, Editing by Muralikumar Aantharaman and Clarence Fernandez

(source: Reuters)