The U.S. military's Indo-Pacific Command has reportedly issued orders to prepare a potential "show of force" in response to increasing Chinese aggression in the South China Sea.
The move comes as President Donald Trump prepares to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping in South Korea on Thursday.
Two officials told CBS News the planned operation would involve launching HIMARS precision rockets toward the disputed Scarborough Shoal, though it remains uncertain if or when the mission will proceed.
The exercise, intended to demonstrate U.S. resolve, would mark one of the most assertive U.S. military actions in the region in years.
The Scarborough Shoal — known in the Philippines as Bajo de Masinloc — lies within Manila's exclusive economic zone but has been under effective Chinese control since 2012.
Chinese coast guard and naval vessels have repeatedly clashed with Philippine ships, including an August incident in which Chinese vessels collided while pursuing a Philippine cutter near the reef.
Recent satellite images suggest Beijing has installed a floating barrier across the shoal's entrance, drawing condemnation from Washington and Manila.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio denounced China's creation of a "nature reserve" there as an attempt to cement its territorial claims.
Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. also criticized the move, calling it a violation of international law and his nation's sovereignty under the 1982 U.N. Convention on the Law of the Sea and the 2016 arbitration ruling that rejected China's expansive claims.
Officials say the U.S. show of force could precede trade negotiations or aim to deter Beijing from establishing a permanent barrier at the reef. Indo-Pacific Command has not commented on the report.
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