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.

  • LarmyOfLone@lemm.ee
    6115·
    2 months ago

    China bad propaganda. Instead of talking about the horrific civil war in Sudan, lets talk about ramming some ships and get the US involved in that… fucking insanity.

    PS: Let me make this clear: I don’t give a shit about what China does unless it involves actual ethnic cleansing and mass rape. If we don’t give a shit about the latter, we shouldn’t “get involved” in the former.

    • fine_sandy_bottom@lemmy.federate.cc
      424·
      2 months 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.

      • SSJMarx@lemm.eeEnglish
        342·
        2 months 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.

    • Cocodapuf@lemmy.world
      33·
      2 months ago

      PS: Let me make this clear: I don’t give a shit about what China does unless it involves actual ethnic cleansing and mass rape. If we don’t give a shit about the latter, we shouldn’t “get involved” in the former.

      Funny you should bring that up… You should ask the Uyghurs in China about that.

      Also, the world watched them impose their rule over Hong Kong, we watched their military murder their way through protesting civilians. We know what to expect from China, we’ve seen their playbook.

      But Taiwan is an ally of the USA, Japan is an ally of the USA, and we will stand by them. There are many other sovereign nations in the waters of the South China Sea, China does not own all that territory.

      It would be in China’s best interest to back the fuck off.

    • Etterra@lemmy.world
      11·
      2 months ago

      That’s not how international politics works, though. It’s way too complicated but one key principle is “do what the treat says you agreed to do.” Because if you don’t do it once, you’re other Allies might not do it when it’s your turn.

      That’s a gross oversimplification of course, but the point is that you don’t want to end up going all Putin and telling your smaller allies to fuck off.

      • LarmyOfLone@lemm.ee
        14·
        2 months ago

        Would that be before or after you elect a fascist “dictator on day one”? In a country where living costs make it impossible to have kids? Where healthcare spirals out of control and people don’t call an ambulance because of fear of bankruptcy? Where 12 year kids are forced to bear their rape babies to term? You are literally on the cusp of fascism you moron.

        There is plenty wrong with China and ramming boats is not nice. But your ghoulish lust for blood and destruction is disgusting your fucking fascist prick.

        • InverseParallax@lemmy.worldEnglish
          42·
          2 months ago

          Listen, China is going to start a war, their overall situation basically demands it, and we’ll win.

          But if they decide not to, that’s fine too.

          I’m not bloodthirsty, I’m just not remotely afraid of it, countries like Russia and China need to learn: “Don’t start nothin’, won’t be nothin’.”

          And BTW, they’re never, ever, EVER getting Taiwan back.

    • UnderpantsWeevil@lemmy.worldEnglish
      226·
      2 months ago

      Americans will bitch and cry about Chinese propaganda, then eat Pentagon press briefs up with a spoon and call you racist for questioning a headline.

      You will never see China Coast Guard vessel helps rescue a Philippine fishing boat in distress near Huangyan Dao ora far more generic Two foreign-flagged ships collide off Corregidor Island, 2 dead. You’ll never have folks ask why these Philippine vessels are running aground and crashing into one another so often. Because that might suggest a problem with the enormously overstressed fisheries and ship channels all through the Pacific.

      That might raise more general concerns about the unregulated nature of naval policy in a region dominated by private shipping companies.

      So much easier to just run a parade of articles saying “Gulf of Tonkin! USS Maine!” on a loop.