WMO omits China's disputed 'nine-dash line' from heatwave map following Vietnam's request

Taking cognizance of a request made by the Vietnamese government, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) deleted the "nine-dash line" from a heatwave map which was posted on its Facebook page on August 22. The UN agency revised its article regarding the ongoing heatwaves in China, removing the "nine-dash line" and only including the mainland portion of the East Asian country. The WMO took the call after following a request from Vietnam urging the UN agency to remove the controversial nine-dash line in order to respect its sovereignty in the East Sea, VnExpress Newspaper reported. 

Speaking at a press briefing on August 25, Le Thi Thu Hang, a spokesperson for the Vietnamese Foreign Ministry, drew WMO's attention to the issue and rejected the alleged nine-dash line. "Vietnam has repeatedly dismissed the so-called nine-dash line as well as other maritime statements that go against international laws and the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (1982)," she stated, as per VnExpress. Hang also called on countries and organisations across the world to eliminate and modify "inappropriate content" that infringes on Vietnam's sovereignty.

The Foreign Ministry spokesperson further stated that all types of propaganda and the dissemination of information and images that contravene Vietnam's sovereignty over the Truong Sa (Spratly) and Hoang Sa (Paracels) islands as well as its jurisdiction over the relevant waters are "invalid." Hang made the statements after the World Meteorological Organization posted a map of China's heatwaves, which included the 'nine-dash line'. 

What is the 'nine-dash line'?

It should be noted that the "nine-dash line" is a set of line segments on various maps that accompany the People's Republic of China's claims in the South China Sea. According to reports, Yang Huairen, a Chinese geographer, assisted in establishing the nine-dash line, which was originally an eleven-dash line. Currently, China claims "absolute sovereignty" over the South China Sea which has created a dispute in the region. Notably, China, Vietnam, the Philippines, Brunei, Malaysia, Taiwan, and other Southeast Asian nations have long-running territorial disputes over the South China Sea. The Spratly Islands and the Paracel Islands in the sea are the two main areas of contention.

Image: AP