Philippines denies China's claim of an agreement over disputed shoal

The Philippines on April 27 denied a Chinese claim that the two countries had reached an agreement over an escalating maritime dispute in the South China Sea, calling the claim propaganda.

A spokesperson for China's embassy in Manila said on April 18 that the two had agreed early in 2024 to a "new model" in managing tensions at Second Thomas Shoal, without elaborating on the agreement.

Philippine Defence Secretary Gilberto Teodoro said on April 27 that his department was "not aware of, nor is it a party to, any internal agreement with China" since President Ferdinand Marcos Jr took office in 2022.

Defence Department officials have not spoken to any Chinese officials since 2023, Dr Teodoro said in a statement.