Philippine and Chinese authorities agree on measures to prevent further clashes at disputed South China Sea shoal

The Philippines and China have reached an agreement aimed at reducing confrontations at Second Thomas Shoal, a disputed area in the South China Sea. According to reports, the deal was forged after closed-door meetings between Philippine and Chinese diplomats in Manila. The Philippines occupies the shoal, while China claims it as its own, leading to increasingly hostile clashes at sea that have sparked fears of larger conflicts.