Manila accepts Beijing’s offer

Manila: China and the Philippines agreed to conduct a joint inquiry over the sinking of a Filipino fishing boat by a Chinese vessel in disputed waters, President Rodrigo Duterte’s spokesman said.

The June 9 incident, when the two boats collided in the South China Sea, has sparked public outrage.Manila has accused the Chinese trawler of abandoning the vessel’s 22 Filipino crew members – later rescued by Vietnamese fishermen – but Beijing has rejected this.