Philippine Foreign Affairs Secretary Ma. Theresa Lazaro has described a recent agreement with China regarding resupply missions to the Ayungin Shoal as a simple “information exchange.” This clarification came during a House appropriations committee hearing, addressing concerns about the nature of the “provisional arrangement.” The agreement pertains to rotation and resupply (RORE) missions to the Second Thomas Shoal, a contested area in the South China Sea. Lazaro emphasized the arrangement does not represent a significant shift in policy or a concession to China. She addressed the committee while discussing her department’s budget proposal. The Secretary’s statement aims to quell anxieties surrounding potential limitations on Philippine access to the area. Further details about the specifics of the information exchanged were not immediately provided.