MANILA: China has assured the Philippines it will not occupy new features or territory in the South China Sea, under a new status quo brokered by Manila as both sides try to strengthen their relations, the Philippine defense minister said.
The minister, Delfin Lorenzana, told a congressional hearing that the Philippines and China had reached a “modus vivendi,” or a way to get along, in the South China Sea that prohibits new occupation of islands.
“There is status quo now that is happening in the South China Sea brokered by the secretary of Foreign Affairs,” he told lawmakers late on Monday.
“According to him, the Chinese will not occupy new features in the South China Sea nor they are going to build structures in Scarborough Shoal,” he said, referring to a prime fishing ground close to the Philippines that China blockaded from 2012 to 2016.
“It would be a very serious thing if China will occupy any of the islands.”
Lorenzana did not comment when lawmakers, citing reports from the military, told him five Chinese ships had showed up almost 5 km off the Philippine-held Thitu Island in the Spratly archipelago on Saturday.
Congressman Gary Alejano told Reuters that Chinese fishing boats had blocked a Philippine marine surveillance ship in the area two days ago.
Thitu Island is the largest of nine reefs and shoals the Philippines occupies in the Spratlys.
The military’s public affairs chief, Col. Edgard Arevalo, declined to comment until the armed forces had the “whole picture on the current situation.”
Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has berated traditional ally the United States over several issues since he took office just over a year ago, while courting China for its business and investment and avoiding the rows over maritime sovereignty that dogged his predecessors.
China claims almost the entire South China Sea, a waterway through which about $3 trillion worth of sea-borne trade passes every year. Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam also have conflicting claims in the area.
China has built seven islands upon reefs in disputed areas, three of which, experts say, are capable of accommodating fighter jets. They have runways, radars and surface-to-air missiles which China says are for defense.
One of the manmade islands is Subi Reef, visible some 24 km away by the small community of Filipinos who since the 1970s have lived on Thitu.
Alejano, a former Marine Corps officer who led a failed coup against the government of Gloria Macapagal Arroyo in 2003, urged the government to lodge a diplomatic protest and tell China to leave Philippine territory in the Spratlys.
Philippines says China has agreed no new expansion in South China Sea
Philippines says China has agreed no new expansion in South China Sea
Saudi Reef has played key role in empowering rural communities, says spokesperson
- Program has benefited more than 90,000 rural families, enabled productive projects
- Majed Al-Buraikan: The eight sectors supported by the Saudi Reef program help diversify agricultural production, support sustainable use of resources and improve supply chains
JEDDAH: The Saudi Reef program has played a key role in strengthening food security and empowering farmers and rural families across the Kingdom since its launch in 2019.
The program forms part of Saudi Arabia’s broader efforts under Vision 2030 to support sustainable agricultural development, diversify the economy, and enhance the contribution of rural communities to national growth.
Majed Al-Buraikan, the official spokesperson for Saudi Reef and its director of corporate communications and media, told Arab News that the program had made a positive impact in rural communities.
He said: “It has empowered small farmers and rural families to develop their agricultural projects and increase productivity.
“This support has helped strengthen food security, improve the use of resources, and support the long-term sustainability of the agricultural sector, in line with Vision 2030 goals to diversify the economy and develop rural areas.”
Through targeted support across eight priority agricultural sectors — including Saudi coffee, value-added development, livestock, rainfed crops, beekeeping and honey production, aromatic plants, fisheries, and fruit — the program focuses on enhancing the sustainability of these sectors to achieve empowerment and stability for rural families.
Al-Buraikan added: “The eight sectors supported by the Saudi Reef program help diversify agricultural production, support sustainable use of resources and improve supply chains.
“This diversity supports economic stability in rural areas, encourages balanced growth, and helps build a flexible rural production system that can expand over time.”
By benefiting more than 90,000 rural families and enabling productive projects rooted in local communities, the program has also opened up new economic opportunities for women and youngsters, supported entrepreneurship, and improved productivity across the rural sector.
Al-Buraikan said: “This shows the wide developmental impact of the Saudi Reef program and its strong geographic and social reach.
“It demonstrates the ability of rural areas to become productive economic spaces.
“This expansion has improved income levels, strengthened social stability in rural areas, and increased the contribution of agriculture to the national economy.”
The program has helped make rural work a competitive economic option by improving agricultural productivity, supporting a wide range of sectors, and enabling beneficiaries to access local and global markets.
The program announced in 2025 that the market value of production across its sectors had exceeded SR5.6 billion ($1.49 billion) since its launch.
Al-Buraikan said: “This reflects the strong economic potential of rural investment and its role in supporting the national economy, food security, and sustainability goals under Vision 2030.”
The Sustainable Reef initiative was launched in September 2025 to highlight the significant impact the program had made in supporting rural communities and enhancing agricultural and economic sustainability across various regions of the Kingdom.
Al-Buraikan said the initiative was a development-focused media extension of the Saudi Reef program.
“It highlights the real impact of government support through inspiring success stories that show how rural projects have become sustainable, productive businesses,” he said.
“What makes it different is that it goes beyond traditional support by building public awareness of the value of rural areas as promising economic and investment contributors.”
Saudi Reef has helped position rural work as a competitive and sustainable economic option, reinforcing its role in driving long-term development across the Kingdom.
The program has also empowered women in rural areas by opening new opportunities in agricultural activities while providing sustainable sources of income.
Al-Buraikan said: “It has also supported young people through an integrated entrepreneurship system that includes incubators, accelerators, and training programs, helping to turn rural ideas into productive projects led by and benefiting rural communities.”
In addition, the program supports Vision 2030 by empowering farmers, increasing local production, and building a sustainable agricultural sector that contributes to food security and economic development.
Demonstration farms serve as practical platforms where farmers can observe modern agricultural practices, learn improved production methods, and adopt modern technologies, thereby increasing efficiency and improving crop quality.
Al-Buraikan said: “The program balances agricultural production with environmental protection by promoting smart agriculture, improving resource use, and linking production to modern technologies. The program ensures agricultural growth while protecting the environment.”
