China has publicized for the first time what it claims is an unwritten 2016 agreement with the Philippines over access to South China Sea islands.

The Philippines summoned a Chinese diplomat on Thursday to protest Beijing's use of water cannon against Filipino vessels at a disputed shoal in the South China Sea, describing it as harassment and "dangerous manoeuvres".

The U.S. and the Philippines are in discussions over ways to prevent China from dominating nickel processing in the Southeast Asian nation, a key supplier of the metal that’s crucial for electric vehicle batteries.