The move to detail the secret and unwritten deal further threatens to escalate tensions in the disputed waterway, where much of the world's trade passes through.
China has publicised for the first time what it claims is a secret deal with the Philippines over access to islands in the South China Sea .
In a statement China said the Philippines respected the agreement over the past seven years but has since reneged on it to "fulfil its own political agenda," forcing it to take action. The expert on naval affairs in the Indo-Pacific region, particularly South-East Asia, said China's statement is noteworthy because it showed that "Beijing has no official document to prove its case and thus could only rely mainly on Duterte's verbal claim."The Philippine president, who took office in 2022, told reporters last month that China has insisted that there was such a secret agreement but said he was not aware of any.
Asked if he agreed that the Philippines would not bring construction materials to strengthen a Philippine military ship outpost at the Second Thomas Shoal, he said that was part of maintaining the status quo but added there was no written agreement. China has long accused Manila of "violating its commitments" and "acting illegally" in the South China Sea, without being explicit.
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China Philippines Rodrigo Duterte Ferdinand Marcos Jr Collin Koh S. Rajaratnam School Of International Studies Nanyang Technological University Second Thomas Shoal
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