Chinese Ambassador to the Philippines Zhao Jianhua (center) and other Chinese foreign ministry officials return to their meeting with their Philippine counterparts on the second Bilateral Consultation Mechanism on South China Sea in Taguig City Tuesday. (AP) The Philippines and China have agreed to set up a special panel to work out how they can jointly explore oil and gas in parts of the South China Sea (SCS) that both sides claim without having to address the explosive issue of sovereignty. China claims most of the South China Sea, where $3 billion in sea-borne trade pass every year, and has competing claims in various parts of it with Brunei, Malaysia, Taiwan, Vietnam, and the Philippines.

Mabasa, R. (2018, February 15). PH, China OK joint SCS oil exploration. Manila Bulletin, pp. 1, 8.