New deal establishes a hotline Chinese and Philippine presidents can use to stop clashes at sea

Associated Press

MANILA, Philippines (AP) — A recently signed agreement will open a direct line of communication between presidential offices of China and the Philippines to help prevent any new confrontation from spiraling out of control in the disputed South China Sea. The Associated Press saw a copy of the highlights of the accord on Tuesday. China and the Philippines have forged such emergency telephone hotlines at lower levels in the past, but the territorial confrontations have persisted in the past year. The agreement came after Chinese and Philippine officials dealing with the territorial disputes held talks in Manila on July 2.