Leila de lima refuted yesterday a claim by china’s spokesperson that the philippines has an “overlapping” exclusive economic zone with beijing. Leila de lima said at a conference on april 3 that the maritime dispute between the philippines and china is also a human rights issue, affecting food and economic. Manila, philippines — opposition rep.
The dispute over the south china sea has become a testing ground for great power rivalry, with the philippines caught at the intersection of chinese assertiveness and. Leila de lima rejected the repeated claims of the chinese embassy in manila that the philippines had instigated the maritime dispute in the west philippine sea. China rejects a 2016 ruling by the permanent court of arbitration in the hague that invalidated the country’s claims over almost the entire south china sea.