Philippines and China agree to handle disputes peacefully and boost cooperation

Philippines' President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. and First Lady Liza Araneta Marcos are photographed with China President Xi Jinping and his wife Peng Li Yuan during a welcoming ceremony at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China, January 4, 2023. - Reuters

BEIJING/MANILA, Jan 5 (Reuters): China and the Philippines have agreed to set up a direct communications channel between their foreign ministries on the South China Sea to handle disputes peacefully, they said on Thursday night (Jan 5).

Their agreement, which contained 14 elements aimed at cooling security tensions and boosting economic cooperation, comes as they strive to mend a relationship hurt after the Philippines won a 2016 arbitral ruling that invalidated China's expansive claims in the South China Sea.