The Philippines and China have reached a "friendly" understanding allowing Filipinos to fish around a disputed shoal seized by Beijing in 2012, a senior aide to President Rodrigo Duterte said Monday. Duterte negotiated the understanding during his recent meeting in Beijing with Chinese President Xi Jinping, said National Security Adviser Hermogenes Esperon. As a result, he said, in recent days Filipino fishermen have been able to fish unmolested at Scarborough Shoal in the South China Sea while Chinese government vessels have patrolled nearby.

Wakefield, F. T. (2016, November 1). Esperon: China, Philippines in 'friendly' understanding on Scarborough. Manila Bulletin, p. 4.