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.

  • @Harvey656
    40•3 months ago

    These comments are nuts, why are people happy about this? Did we swap over to sucking off china???

    • @mlgEnglish
      15•3 months ago

      I think people are mad that they keep nuking trade and trying to ramp up military involvement for a double solvable issue that would repair both the economy at home and negate a trade war with China.

      Except that invovles proper market regulation and not slapping tariffs to protect monopoly profits.

      Probably just hit a nerve with people that China’s usual tactics of slamming boats is suddenly worthy of America getting invovled just because a news crew was onboard, but 10 months of actual warzone genocide reporting in Israel means nothing to the government.

      Either that or there’s just a bunch of pissed off tankies lmao.

      • @Maggoty
        23•3 months ago

        Having looked, it’s pissed off tankies.

      • @Harvey656
        15•3 months ago

        I mean I get that, but this is pretty separate from Isreal, and this is the third time I’ve seen them do this myself. Seems like it’s at least somewhat newsworthy. You can in fact have both the genocide news and this stuff too.