The Philippines denied China’s claim that the two countries had reached an agreement over a maritime dispute in the South China Sea. On April 18, China's embassy in Manila said the two countries had agreed to a "new model" to manage tensions at the Second Thomas Shoal. The Philippines’ Defence Secretary refuted the claim, saying Manila was "not aware of, nor is it a party to, any internal agreement with China". Meanwhile, China warned the US and the Philippines against carrying out their annual joint exercise amid flaring regional tensions. Balikatan is the biggest military exercise between the US and the Philippines, involving 17,000 Filipino and American troops.
