China has assured the Philippines that it would refrain from conducting any activities on uninhabited areas in the West Philippine Sea, Foreign Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano said on Friday. Cayetano said the country had also made “gains” in its territorial dispute with China despite the latter’s transformation of three of seven Philippine-claimed reefs it had seized since 2007 into facilities that could accept fighter aircraft and naval vessels.

Ramos, M., & Pazzibugan, D. Z. (2018, February 17). DFA: China gives 'no-build' assurance in sea row talks. Philippine Daily Inquirer, p. A8.