Philippines, China reach deal to avoid clashes in disputed shoal

The Philippines and China on Sunday reached a "provisional" agreement that aims to avoid confrontations at a disputed shoal in the South China Sea where Filipino troops are stationed on a marooned ship.
The deal was reached after a series of consultations in Manila, following increasing tensions in the Second Thomas Shoal, locally called Ayungin Shoal, the Philippines' Department of Foreign Affairs said.
"The Philippines and the People's Republic of China have reached an understanding on the provisional arrangement for the resupply of daily necessities and rotation missions to the BRP Sierra Madre in Ayungin Shoal," the department said in a statement.
"Both sides continue to recognize the need to de-escalate the situation in the South China Sea and manage differences through dialogue and consultation and agree that the agreement will not prejudice each other's positions in the South China Sea," it added.
No details were given about the agreement, but Philippine diplomats earlier said the two sides have agreed to establish a high-level hotline to prevent confrontations during regular trips by the Philippines to bring supplies to the troops at BRP Sierra Madre.
The shoal lies 195 kilometres west of the Philippine province of Palawan and is within the Philippines' exclusive economic zone.
China, which claims almost the entire South China Sea, has taken increasingly aggressive actions in the area in recent years. It has ignored a 2016 ruling by an international arbitration court that it has no legal or historical basis for its expansive claims.
Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan also have claims to the area, which is believed to be rich in natural resources.