Beijing/Manila | China and the Philippines said in a joint statement on Thursday they had agreed to set up a direct foreign ministries communications channel on the South China Sea to handle disputes peacefully.
The statement, which contained 14 agreements aimed at cooling security tensions and boosting economic cooperation, comes as both sides strive to mend a relationship hurt after the Philippines sought a 2016 arbitral ruling that invalidated China’s expansive claims in the South China Sea.
