China has recently made public an alleged unwritten agreement from 2016 with the Philippines regarding access to South China Sea islands, which has the potential to escalate tensions in the disputed region. The agreement, as claimed by China, allowed for small-scale fishing around the islands while restricting access by military and official ships and planes to the 12 nautical mile limit of territorial waters.
The Philippines had reportedly respected this agreement for seven years but is now accused by China of reneging on it for its own political motives. This alleged breach has led to ongoing disputes between the two nations in the South China Sea.
