China rams Philippine ship while 60 Minutes on board; South China Sea tensions could draw U.S. in

If there's going to be a military conflict between the United States and China, the thinking in Washington goes, it will most likely happen if China tries to invade Taiwan. But lately tensions have escalated precariously in another part of the South China Sea, the waters off the western coast of the Philippines, where in international tribunal rule the Philippines has exclusive economic rights. But China claims almost all of the South China Sea, one of the world's most vital water ways through which more than $3 trillion in goods flow each year. To assert its claims, China has been using tactics just short of war, leading to violent confrontations. The United States has a mutual defense treaty with the Philippines, which could mean American intervention. It's been called the most dangerous conflict no one is talking about.

如果中美之间爆发军事冲突，华盛顿的看法是，这很可能发生在中国试图入侵台湾的情况下。但最近，在南海的另一个地区，即菲律宾西部海域，紧张局势急剧升级。根据国际法庭的裁决，菲律宾在这些水域拥有专属经济权，但中国声称几乎整个南海是其领土，这片海域是世界上最重要的水道之一，每年有超过3万亿美元的货物通过。为了主张其权利，中国展开了接近战争的策略，导致暴力对峙。美国与菲律宾有互助防御条约，这可能意味着美方会介入。这场冲突被称为无人关注的最危险冲突。

The last month we saw for ourselves just how dangerous it can be. The story will continue in a moment. When we boarded the Philippine coast guard ship Cape Ngano last month, it was supposed to be for a routine mission resupplying ships and stations in the South China Sea. But in the middle of our first night, sirens raged, crew members rushed between decks. There was confusion, fear our team was told to stay inside the cabin for safety. It was unclear if we would take on water or if the Chinese would try to force their way on board. Philippine crew members prepared for that possibility and stood by the hatch holding clubs in case they had to fend off the Chinese. The cell phone video taken by the Filipinos shows the moment just after impact.

上个月我们亲眼目睹了事情的危险性。故事将在片刻后继续。上个月我们登上了菲律宾海岸警卫队的“恩加诺角号”船，原本只是一次在南中国海补给船只和站点的例行任务。但在第一个夜晚的半夜，警报声大作，船员们在甲板间奔走，非常混乱，恐慌中我们的团队被告知为了安全需要留在船舱内。当时很不清楚我们会不会进水，还是中国人会不会尝试强行登船。菲律宾的船员们对此做好了准备，站在舱口，手持棍棒，以备在必要时击退中国人。菲律宾人拍摄的手机视频展示了碰撞后的那一刻。

The Chinese coast guard ship 269 feet long and nearly twice the size of the Cape Ngano jammed into the Philippine starboard quarter, the rear right side of the ship. When the Chinese pulled away, the Filipinos found a three and a half foot hole. An officer told us we were lucky the damage was above the water line. There are, you can't see here in the dark, about four or five different Chinese boats surrounding us at the moment and the crew tells me they can see on the radar that more are coming right now. This happened about 60 nautical miles off the coast of the Philippines and about 660 nautical miles from China on the way to a place called Sabina Shole.

中国海警船长269英尺，几乎是“恩加诺角”号的两倍大，撞上了菲律宾船只的右后方。当中国船只离开时，菲律宾船只发现船体上有一个三英尺半的洞。一位军官告诉我们，幸运的是损坏发生在水线以上。目前，在黑暗中你看不到，大约有四到五艘中国船只围着我们，船员告诉我，他们在雷达上看到更多的中国船只正在接近。这一事件发生在距离菲律宾海岸约60海里、距离中国约660海里的萨比纳浅滩附近。

Manila and Beijing have station coast guard vessels around the shole in recent months, with the Philippines fearing China will take control. In 2016, an international tribunal at the Hague ruled the Philippines has exclusive economic rights in a 200-mile zone that includes Sabina Shole and the area where the Cape Ngano was rammed. China does not recognize the ruling and says the South China Sea has been its territory since ancient times. We're just getting our first light and now we have a much better sense of just how surrounded we are by Chinese vessels. You can see these two right here actually say China coast guard. We're at a complete standoff. We've been here for going on two hours now, not moving.

马尼拉和北京近几个月来在浅滩周围部署了海岸警卫队船只，菲律宾担心中国会夺取控制权。2016年，海牙的一个国际仲裁庭裁定，菲律宾在包括萨比纳浅滩和风积角所在区域的200英里范围内拥有专属经济权。中国不承认这一裁决，并声称南海自古以来就是其领土。天刚亮的时候，我们才真正意识到我们被中国船只包围了。你可以看到这里的两艘船上写着“China coast guard”（中国海警）。我们现在完全陷入僵局，已经在这里停留了将近两个小时，一动不动。

It's unclear whether we can even turn around and go back. If we wanted to, we're just completely surrounded by Chinese ships. 14 in all, including a militia of large fishing vessels used to help occupy territory and block ships like the one we were on. The Filipinos tried to negotiate a way out, but ultimately were forced to abandon the first stop of their mission. We said we're not going to Sabina. In their damaged boat, they had to take a long detour to their next supply drop as Chinese ships followed closely. By this time, the Chinese had already publicized their version of the incident, accusing the Filipinos of instigating the conflict and highlighting our team's faces, accusing us of being part of a propaganda campaign.

我们甚至不清楚是否可以掉头回去。如果我们想回去，现在也完全被中国船只包围了。总共有14艘船，其中包括用于占领领土和阻挡像我们这艘船这样的船只的大型渔船民兵。菲律宾人尝试谈判以找到出路，但最终被迫放弃任务的第一个停靠点。我们说我们不会去萨比纳。在他们受损的船只上，他们不得不绕道很远去下一个补给点，而中国船只紧紧跟随。到这时，中国方面已经公开了他们对事件的说法，指责菲律宾人挑起冲突，并突出了我们团队的面孔，指责我们是宣传活动的一部分。

The Philippines has turned the South China Sea into its theater, deliberately ramming a Chinese coast guard ship with Western journalists right there to capture the drama. They're saying that this is your fault, this collision. If you do the ramming, the other ship would have the damage, not your ship. Captain Daniel Lebye, the top ranking officer on the Cape in Ganyo, took us below deck to survey the damage. He told us it would not stop them from continuing on. This is our place. This is our exclusive economic zone. This is the Philippines. Over the past two years, the Chinese have turned the South China Sea into a demolition derby, repeatedly ramming Philippine ships and blasting them with water cannons.

菲律宾将南海变成了它的舞台，故意在现场有西方记者记录的情况下撞击中国海警船。他们声称这次碰撞是你的错。如果是你撞他船，受损的应该是另一条船而不是你的。卡普·丹尼尔·勒比耶，Cape in Ganyo的最高指挥官，带我们下到甲板下面查看损坏情况。他告诉我们，这不会阻止他们继续前行。这是我们的地方，这是我们的专属经济区，这是菲律宾。在过去的两年中，中国不断将南海变成一场拆车大赛，频繁撞击菲律宾船只，并用水炮攻击他们。

But what we saw on the Cape in Ganyo represented a significant escalation, bringing the battle lines closer than ever to the Philippine shore. Within hours of the collision, the Biden administration condemned China for what it called dangerous and destabilizing conduct. This has become an international incident. What happened on your ship this morning? I've been assigned here for two years, and this is just what we deal with every day. Is it getting worse now? Yes, it's getting worse. What's behind this uptick in tension? What changed? I think what changed is the determination of the Philippines to say no. You're standing up to China? Yes, yes, and they don't like it. Gilberto Tiodoro is the Philippine Secretary of National Defense. The proverbial schoolyard bully is the best example of what China is. You know, it just muscles you over. For example, he says, the aptly named Mischief Reef in the Philippines economic zone once looked like this. Now looks like this. In the 1990s, the Chinese took it over and started turning the reef into a military base.

但我们在甘约角看到的情况意味着局势的显著升级，使战线比以往任何时候都更接近菲律宾海岸。在碰撞发生后的几小时内，拜登政府谴责中国称其行为危险且破坏稳定。这已经成为一件国际事件。今天早上你的船上发生了什么事？我在这里工作了两年，这种事每天都会发生。现在情况变得更糟了吗？是的，情况变得更糟了。这次紧张局势升级的背后是什么原因？发生了什么变化？我想变化是菲律宾决心说“不”。你们在对抗中国？是的，是的，他们不喜欢这样。吉尔伯托·特奥多罗是菲律宾国防部长。中国就是典型的校园恶霸，你知道的，它会用力量来压制你。例如，他说，菲律宾经济区内的美济礁过去是这个样子，而现在是这个样子。在1990年代，中国接管了它，并开始将这个礁石变成一个军事基地。

As the Cape in Ganyo passed near Mischief Reef, a Chinese Navy destroyer appeared. China Navy Worship 105 is MRV4411. The Filipinos repeatedly asked for safe passage. Please give clear of our passage and maintain safe distance over. Each time, there was no response. In a game of cat and mouse, the destroyer edged forward. The Filipinos forced to come to a stop and adjust course to avoid another collision. China has decided that at this point in their history, they are large enough so that they can buck the law. In Manila, we met retired U.S. Air Force Colonel Ray Powell, who runs the non-profit Seylight. You see these ships going down, which tracks China's actions in the South China Sea. How do they get away with this? There's a law and there's a judge, but there's no enforcer. There's no prosecutor. There's nobody who put him in jail. Unless I suppose the U.S. decides to intervene, which then becomes the world policeman. That's the problem.

当位于Ganyo的Cape号船只经过美济礁附近时，一艘中国海军驱逐舰出现了。这艘中国海军的105号舰船编号为MRV4411。菲律宾方面反复请求安全通行：“请让出我们的航道，并保持安全距离。” 每次请求都没有得到回应。在这一场猫捉老鼠的游戏中，中国驱逐舰逐渐向前逼近，菲律宾船只被迫停下来并调整航向以避免再次发生碰撞。中国已经决定，在他们的历史阶段上，他们的力量足以无视法律。 在马尼拉，我们见到了退役的美国空军上校雷·鲍威尔，他现经营一家名为Seylight的非营利组织，负责跟踪中国在南海的行动。“你看到这些船只的动向，它们在南海的行径如何逍遥法外呢？有法律和法官，但没有执行人，也没有检察官，更没有人将其送进监狱。除非美国决定进行干预，成为世界警察。那就是问题所在。”

The U.S. is bound by treaty to defend the Philippines if it comes under armed attack. I want to understand a scenario in which that red line could be crossed. You were just involved in a situation where you were hit by a larger ship. Even if that ship had sunk your ship and several people had died, what would the Philippines then feel compelled to do? They probably wouldn't go instantly to war, but they might instantly get onto a war footing. They might go to the United States and say, this looks a lot like an armed attack to us. We were hit by a ship and people died. And in a scenario like that, would the United States be obligated to intervene? Look, every treaty in the end depends on the political will of the parties. What I will say is if the United States fails or appears to fail to meet its treaty obligations, the entire U.S. treaty and alliance and treaty structure is built on credibility. Your word means nothing. If it means nothing to the Philippines, what does it mean to Japan? What does it mean to Australia? What does it mean to NATO?

根据条约，美国有义务在菲律宾遭受武装袭击时进行防卫。我想理解一个“红线”会被触碰的情况。你刚刚经历了被一艘较大的船撞击的事件。即使那艘船击沉了你的船，导致数人死亡，那么菲律宾会在这种情况下被迫采取什么行动呢？他们可能不会立刻宣战，但他们可能会立刻进入战备状态。他们可能会向美国寻求帮助，说这对他们来说就像是武装袭击。我们的船被撞沉了，人也死了。在这种情况下，美国是否有义务干预？看看，每个条约最终都取决于各方的政治意愿。我想说的是，如果美国未能或看起来未能履行其条约义务，那么整个美国的条约和联盟结构都是建立在信誉基础上的。你的承诺就毫无意义了。如果对菲律宾毫无意义，对日本又意味着什么？对澳大利亚又意味着什么？对北约又意味着什么？

The U.S. has not had a permanent military presence in the Philippines since 1992, though it does conduct regular joint exercises. And this year committed $500 million in military aid to Manila and another $128 million to upgrade bases. We met General Romeo Bronner, the military chief of staff, at one of those bases after he landed in his fighter jet following an aerial reconnaissance flight over the South China Sea. How much time do you spend focused on China? Almost the whole day.

自从1992年以来，美国在菲律宾就没有永久性的军事存在，但双方一直进行定期的联合演习。今年，美国承诺向菲律宾提供5亿美元的军事援助，并投入1.28亿美元升级军事基地。我们在其中一个军事基地见到了菲律宾武装部队参谋长罗密欧·布朗纳将军，当时他刚从南海进行空中侦察任务后驾驶战斗机降落。我问他，您花多少时间关注中国？几乎整天。

Last year General Bronner visited the Philippines equivalent of the Alamo, a grounded World War II battleship called the Sierra Madre, manned by soldiers and used to hold down Manila's claim to a disputed area in the South China Sea. It was the scene of the most violent incident to date. In June when the Philippine Navy tried to resupply those troops, the Chinese blocked the delivery. It was near hand-to-hand combat. What was surprising was that they had bladed weapons with them. They had spears with them. You had never seen that before? We have not seen that before. And they began attacking our boats. They started puncturing our boats with their spears. A Filipino Navy Seal lost his right thumb after the Chinese rammed his boat.

去年，布朗纳将军访问了菲律宾版的“阿拉莫”——一艘被搁浅的二战战舰，名为“塞拉马德雷号”。这艘战舰上驻扎着菲律宾士兵，用以维持马尼拉对南海争议地区的主权。这里发生了迄今为止最为激烈的冲突。六月，当菲律宾海军尝试为这些士兵补给时，遭到了中国方面的阻拦。冲突几乎演变成了近身战斗。令人意外的是，他们携带了刀刃武器和长矛，这是之前从未见过的。他们开始攻击我们的船只，用长矛刺穿船体。一名菲律宾海军海豹突击队员在中国船只撞击他的船后失去了右手拇指。

They stole our equipment. They destroyed our equipment. They hurt our personnel. And these are the doings of pirates. I warned our personnel. If this happens again, you have the right to defend yourselves. If the Chinese were to fire upon your men and your men fire back, sir, that sounds like the making of the beginning of a war. Yes, yes, indeed, indeed. If your attacks that happened to the U.S. told us there are ongoing conversations between Washington and Manila about which scenarios would trigger U.S. involvement. Do you worry that perhaps some unpredictable incident at sea could cause tensions to escalate? And then, you know, suddenly the Philippines, not Taiwan, becomes the flashpoint in the South China Sea? Oh, yes. Oh, yes, definitely.

他们偷了我们的设备，毁坏了我们的设备，伤害了我们的人员。这些都是海盗干的事。我已经警告过我们的人员了。如果这种情况再次发生，你们有权自卫。如果中国人开枪射击你们的人，而你们的人反击，这听起来像是战争的开始。是的，确实如此。如果发生类似于对美国的攻击，华盛顿和马尼拉之间正在讨论哪些情况会引发美国的介入。你是否担心在海上发生一些不可预测的事件可能会导致紧张局势升级？然后，突然间，菲律宾而不是台湾，成为南海的热点？哦，是的，绝对是这样。

If China were to take the Sierra Madre, would that merit America's intervention? If China were to take the Sierra Madre, that is a clear act of war on a Philippine vessel. And you would expect American intervention? We will react. And naturally, we would expect it. You're talking about a rusty old warship. How realistic is it to expect the United States to intervene over the fate of a warship like that? There are people in there that is an outpost of Philippines sovereignty. So we're not talking about the rusty old vessels only. We're talking about a piece of Philippine territory in there.

如果中国占领了塞拉马德雷山，那是否值得美国干预呢？如果中国占领了塞拉马德雷山，那显然是对菲律宾船只的战争行为。你会期望美国干预吗？我们会作出反应。而且，自然我们也会期望这样。你说的是一艘生锈的旧军舰。美国真的会为了这样一艘旧军舰的命运进行干预吗？那里有菲律宾的人员，那是菲律宾主权的前哨站。所以我们不仅仅是在讨论生锈的旧船，我们是在讨论那里的菲律宾领土。

President Biden has invited Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to the White House twice in the past 16 months and assured him of America's support. I want to be very clear. The United States Defense commitment to the Philippines is ironclad. Earlier this year, Washington sent the Philippines a powerful weapon during joint exercises, a mid-range missile system capable of reaching mainland China. And clearly angered China in a big way. But that's not their business, this is for Philippine defense. It's none of China's business that you have a missile that could reach their shores. What happens within our territory? It is for our defense. We follow international law. What's the fuss? Do you plan to keep mid-range missiles capable of reaching mainland China at some of your bases? I can either confirm or deny if there is such a plan. You say, what's the fuss? China says that you've brought the risk of war into the region by doing this. That's what they always say. Everything the world does that they don't like is the fault of the world.

在过去的16个月里，拜登总统两次邀请菲律宾总统小费迪南德·马科斯到白宫，并向他保证美国的支持。我要非常明确地说：美国对菲律宾的防御承诺是坚定不移的。今年早些时候，华盛顿在联合演习期间向菲律宾提供了一种强大的武器——一套中程导弹系统，可以覆盖到中国大陆。这显然非常激怒了中国。但这不关他们的事，这个系统是为了菲律宾的防御。你拥有一枚能够到达他们领土的导弹，与中国无关。在我们自家领土内发生的事情？这是为了我们的防御。我们遵循国际法。这有什么大惊小怪的吗？你们打算在一些基地保留能够到达中国大陆的中程导弹吗？我既不能确认也不能否认是否有这样的计划。你说“这有什么大惊小怪的？”中国说你们这样做把战争的风险带到了这个地区。这就是他们一直说的。全世界做的任何让他们不喜欢的事情，都是全世界的错。

How do you think this ends, though? You don't expect China to pack up and leave, do you? I really don't know, the end state. All I know is that we cannot let them get away with what they're doing. Another one over the region. What was it like being on board during an international incident at sea? The intimidation is very real when you see it up close. At 60minutesovertime.com.

你认为这会怎样结束呢？你不会指望中国打包走人吧？我真的不知道最终结果会怎样。我只知道我们不能让他们得逞。另一个涉及该地区的问题是：在发生国际海上事件时，你在船上是什么感觉？当你近距离看到时，那种威胁是非常真实的。详情请访问60minutesovertime.com。