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.

      • DaMonsterKnees@lemmy.world
        24·
        2 months ago

        Only because I’m way too into the original lore, the war, iirc was started over a similar situation to what drew Japan into ww2. Oil resources were diminishing, China had far less available, and the US was happy to deny them theirs, so in 2066, they invaded Alaska. 11 years later, hasta lasagna.

          • DaMonsterKnees@lemmy.world
            3·
            2 months ago

            Massive source of frustration there. The last 3 books of that series were fucking epic and they uber glassed over them in the show. I mean, it’s not that I don’t appreciate the inherent difficulties, but Laconia could have been the next Caesars legion as far as modern canon is concerned. One lemmings opinion.

              • DaMonsterKnees@lemmy.world
                2·
                2 months ago

                Yeah, man. Duarte alone was as interesting and full of potential as a character as Bobby. Also, you get a shitload of time with zombie Amos, in full churn glory. I mean, I don’t wanna like spoil it for you because the audiobooks are great if you’re not a reader, but the entire story and everything in the series revolves around the creation of Laconia by the Martians. Laconia’s whole arc is S-tier space opera shit that would have put bezosbucks to good use, but I digress.