Philippines, China reach provisional accord to ease maritime tension

The Philippines and China have reached a provisional agreement to lower tension in the South China Sea, according to the two countries, following skirmishes involving their vessels that have intensified since last year.The foreign ministries of the two Asian nations said in statements issued Sunday and Monday that they have agreed to jointly manage differences on maritime issues through dialogue and consultation, and recognized the need to de-escalate the situation.The tentative accord was reached after a series of consultations including a vice foreign ministerial dialogue held on July 2 i…READ FULL ARTICLE