The court opens the "nine-dash line" case and allows Vietnam to participate.

Vietnam and several other countries were allowed by the court to participate in the Philippines' lawsuit against China's "nine-dash line" in the South China Sea.

The Philippine delegation attends the lawsuit in the Netherlands. Photo: Rappler

The Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) of the United Nations, based in The Hague, Netherlands, began yesterday considering the case brought by the Philippines against China's sovereignty claims in the South China Sea.

According to the PCA press release, the hearing was not open to the public; however, the court allowed Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam, Thailand, and Japan to send small delegations as observers.

China brazenly claims sovereignty over most of the South China Sea based on its self-proclaimed "nine-dash line." This "nine-dash line" extends close to the coastlines of neighboring countries such as the Philippines, Vietnam, Brunei, and Malaysia.

The Philippines brought a formidable team to the trial, including high-ranking officials from three government agencies and internationally renowned lawyers. Manila wanted to declare China's "nine-dash line" illegal and believed the court would rule in its favor.

Meanwhile, China refused to participate in the lawsuit, arguing that the PCA lacked jurisdiction to hear the Philippines' case. Beijing also warned Manila "not to confront" it and insisted on resolving the issue bilaterally.

According to Vnexpress