Marcopolo Tam, a member of a pro-China business group in Hong Kong, points to what is now known as the Spratly Islands in the South China Sea on a Japanese World War II era map purporting to support China’s claims to vast parts of the South China Sea, in Hong Kong Thursday, July 14, 2016. An international tribunal ruled in favor of the Philippines this week saying that China had no basis for expansive claims in the sea. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung)

Marcopolo Tam, a member of a pro-China business group in Hong Kong, points to what is now known as the Spratly Islands in the South China Sea on a Japanese World War II era map purporting to support China’s claims to vast parts of the South China Sea, in Hong Kong Thursday, July 14, 2016. AP FILE PHOTO

Vietnamese border officials are refusing to stamp new Chinese passports featuring the nine-dash line that represents China’s claim on most of the South China Sea.

According to a report by Vietnamese media group Tuoi Tre News on Saturday, holders of these passports are, instead, issued with a separate on-arrival visa. This is to avoid inadvertently recognizing China’s claim.

Last week, the Arbitral Tribunal at The Hague ruled in a case lodged by the Philippines that the nine-dash line was illegal and breached Manila’s territorial rights. China refuses to recognize the ruling.

Vietnam, with maritime claims that overlap China’s, has said that it welcomes the verdict but has otherwise been restrained in its reaction.

The vice-chairman of Quang Ninh province’s People’s Council, Nguyen Xuan Ky, was quoted by Tuoi Tre as saying: “By issuing separate visas, Vietnamese authorities can avoid directly stamping the passports, thus demonstrating Vietnam’s stance of not recognising the nine-dash line in any form.”

Any such passport stamped by mistake will be stamped “voided” upon the traveller’s next entry to Vietnam.

Read more: http://globalnation.inquirer.net/141386/vietnam-rejects-chinese-passports-with-nine-dash-line#ixzz4EoVi6LBL