Philippine forces sail to hotly disputed shoal without incident for first time since deal with China

Philippine government personnel have transported food and other supplies to a fiercely disputed shoal occupied by a Filipino navy contingent without any clashes with China. The area is closely guarded by Beijing’s forces in the South China Sea. In the past, such trips have resulted in aggression between the two countries' ships. But no confrontations were reported from Saturday's transport. The Department of Foreign Affairs in Manila said Saturday that it was the first Philippine government supply trip to the Second Thomas Shoal since the Philippines and China reached a deal a week ago to prevent clashes.