Philippine marines are transported on a rubber boat from a patrol ship, after a mission at the disputed Second Thomas Shoal, part of the Spratly Islands in the South China Sea, as they return to a naval forces camp in Palawan province, southwest Philippines, in this March 31, 2014 file photo. REUTERS/Erik De Castro/Files
HONG KONG/MANILA (Reuters) - China's claims to the disputed South China Sea will come under international legal scrutiny for the first time this week, but while Beijing has officially refused to take part in the case filed by the Philippines at a U.N. tribunal, it has made its presence felt.
Indeed, Manila's international legal team was heading to the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague to initially argue that the five-judge panel has jurisdiction to hear the case, Philippine Foreign Ministry officials told Reuters.
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