Chinese ships have repeatedly rammed Philippine ships in the South China Sea. The U.S. has a mutual defense treaty with the Philippines, which could lead to American intervention.

An escalating series of clashes in the South China Sea between the Philippines and China could draw the U.S., which has a mutual defense treaty with the Philippines, into the conflict.

A 60 Minutes crew got a close look at the tense situation when traveling on a Philippine Coast Guard ship that was rammed by the Chinese Coast Guard.

China has repeatedly rammed Philippine ships and blasted them with water cannons over the last two years. There are ongoing conversations between Washington and Manila about which scenarios would trigger U.S. involvement, Philippine Secretary of National Defense Gilberto Teodoro said in an interview.

“I really don’t know the end state,” Teodoro said. “All I know is that we cannot let them get away with what they’re doing.”

China as “the proverbial schoolyard bully”

China claims sovereignty over almost all of the South China Sea, through which more than $3 trillion in goods flow annually. But in 2016, an international tribunal at the Hague ruled the Philippines has exclusive economic rights in a 200-mile zone that includes the area where the ship with the 60 Minutes team on board got rammed.

China does not recognize the international tribunal’s ruling.

  • @[email protected]
    38•3 days ago

    Ok kiddo, I’m just gonna tell you the brutal truth.

    Everyone likes the cheap stuff China makes, but we’re not comfortable with how they run things, so every time we’re reminded that they’re going to be the dominant global super power by 2100 we freak out a bit.

    Conversely, Muslims killing Muslims in a country that doesn’t make anything we want isn’t that important.

    I’m not saying this is how things ought to be, but it is how things are.

    • @[email protected]English
      -40•3 days ago

      but we’re not comfortable with how they run things

      If you’re not comfortable with totally eliminating extreme poverty, taking the largest steps of any country on the planet to combat climate change, and having a democratic government that exercises control over the capitalists rather than the other way around, then your comfort is not something worth caring about.

          • @ManixT
            24•2 days ago

            Any American can easily and freely research any topic you listed there.

            Are you and your fellow Chinese allowed free access to information or only what your government allows? Why does China need state sensorship if not to protect their lies?

              • @ManixT
                15•2 days ago

                Lol. You aren’t allowed to criticize your government without going to jail. How does that make you feel?

          • @[email protected]English
            12•2 days ago

            I really want to believe you typed that all out right now, but I guess either way, it’s also pretty batshit crazy to have that ready to copy and paste.

            Also I spotted a 21 Savage in there somewhere. It’s almost like a word search.

          • @Maggoty
            8•2 days ago

            Uh if that’s meant for Americans we can’t read Chinese letters…

            Also we freely research all of those topics.

      • @Cosmicomical
        11•2 days ago

        taking the largest steps to combat climate change

        Don’t know now but up to a couple of years ago there where infinite traffic jams due to trucks carrying coal from the mines. Maybe you mean “to combat FOR climate change”.

        • @[email protected]English
          -13•2 days ago

          80% of the world’s solar panels come from China and more than half of their electrical grid is from non-fossil sources. Coal plants are used as backups where they are still used at all. I’m sorry bud but it is simply an objective fact that China has invested more into a green energy transition than anyone else on this Earth.