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Reuters

US President Barack Obama pressed his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping on Saturday on territorial disputes in the South China Sea, urging Beijing to uphold its legal obligations and stressing the United States’ commitments to its regional allies.
Xi said China would continue to safeguard its sovereignty and maritime rights in the South China Sea, according to a statement on the Chinese foreign ministry’s website.
The two leaders and their delegations met for more than four hours before Obama and Xi talked one-on-one as they took a night-time stroll.
Obama urges China to stop flexing muscles over South China Sea
Tensions over the disputed waters between China and its neighbours are expected to hang over the Group of 20 (G20) summit, which opens in the eastern Chinese city of Hangzhou in Zhejiang province on Sunday.
China is keen to ensure a smooth summit, its highest profile event of the year, as it looks to enhance its global standing and avoid acrimony over a long list of tensions with Washington.

Obama, now in the last five months of his presidency, wants to put a final stamp on his signature policy shift towards the Pacific, setting the tone for his White House successor, who will be elected in November and take office on January 20.
He has invested in developing closer ties with nations in Southeast Asia, and is taking pains in his last scheduled trip to the region to reassure partners worried about the economic and military might of China.
After the meetings with Xi and his top officials, Obama emphasised the importance for China to “abide by its obligations” to an international maritime treaty in the dispute over rights to a territory rich in oil and fish through which US$5 trillion in trade travels each year.
An arbitration court in The Hague ruled in July that China had no historic title over the waters of the South China Sea and had infringed on the rights of the Philippines, which brought the case under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea.
Beijing rejected the ruling and accused the US of stirring up trouble in the sea where China’s territorial claims overlap in parts with Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan.

But Xi said in his talks with Obama that China would “persist in peacefully resolving disputes through consultations with parties directly involved”.
He urged the US to “play a constructive role” in the peace and stability of the region.
What’s China’s ‘nine-dash line’ and why has it created so much tension in the South China Sea?
In an unusually lengthy statement following the meeting, the White House said Obama had “underscored the United States’ unwavering commitment to the security of its treaty allies”.
“The president reaffirmed that the United States will work with all countries in the region to uphold the principles of international law, unimpeded lawful commerce, and freedom of navigation and over-flight,” the White House said.
China’s Foreign Ministry, in a separate statement, said the US should drop its “double standards on the South China Sea” and play a constructive role in maintaining regional peace and stability.

Obama is at his last summit of the world’s 20 major economies, and the White House said the Hangzhou visit would likely be his final meeting as president with Xi, with whom he has grappled over hacking incidents, commercial tensions, and differences over human rights.
US President Barack Obama leaves legacy of deeper engagement with China
Obama stressed the need for “an open trade and investment environment” and “the need for China to protect religious freedom for all of its citizens”, the White House said.
China rejects criticism of its human rights record, arguing it has lifted millions out of poverty.
Cyber issues, from concern over hacking and cyber espionage to emerging Chinese policies on information technology that foreign companies fear could limit their operations in the country, have also strained ties.
The visit got off to a rocky start when a Chinese government official angrily scuffled with Obama’s top national security adviser, Susan Rice, at the airport, and yelled at a press aide.

Government official was not happy that reporters were under the wing of AF1. WH press aide would not back down. pic.twitter.com/C3JRVIe37K
— Roberta Rampton (@robertarampton) September 3, 2016

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Obama and Xi tried to strike a cooperative tone, formally agreeing to join the Paris agreement to curb climate-warming emissions, a deal they worked together to cement.
China, US climate deal endorsement sets stage for Xi-Obama meeting
But then they got down to more thorny issues. For his part, Xi told Obama that China objects to the deployment of a US missile shield in South Korea to help protect against the North Korean nuclear threat.
Xi also told Obama it was the responsibility of China and the United States to carry out a successful G20 summit and to “inject momentum to the global economy while lifting confidence,” Xinhua said.
After lengthy discussions in which they were flanked by their top security and economic advisers, the two leaders talked one-on-one as they took a stroll around the picturesque West Lake, where Xi is hosting the G20 summit.
Video footage of the walk showed Xi asking Obama about his daily exercise routine, and describing growth and change in the region as the leaders sat down for tea.
“We’re also setting the stage so that the next US administration comes in with a relationship that is on a strong and productive footing,” Obama told Xi.

What is the most important issue at this year’s #G20 summit? #G20China #poll
— SCMP News (@SCMP_News) September 4, 2016

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Follow us on Twitter for the latest updates on the G20 summit in Hangzhou as it happens:



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G20: Hangzhou

Dialogue in the dark and South China Sea disputes: Obama and Xi Jinping’s long chats and night stroll ahead of G20 summit

President Xi Jinping (left) and his US counterpart Barack Obama drink tea together in a pavilion at the West Lake State Guest House in Hangzhou, eastern Zhejiang province, on Saturday night. Photo: AP

U.S. President Barack Obama, and Chinese President Xi Jinping, arrive at a pavilion to drink tea at West Lake State Guest House in Hangzhou in eastern China's Zhejiang province, Saturday, Sept. 3, 2016. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster, Pool)

US President Barack Obama and Chinese President Xi Jinping, walk toward the door for a stroll outside at West Lake State Guest House in Hangzhou in eastern China's Zhejiang province on September 3, 2016. / AFP PHOTO / POOL / Carolyn Kaster

U.S. President Barack Obama, and Chinese President Xi Jinping, walk together at West Lake State Guest House in Hangzhou in eastern China's Zhejiang province, Saturday, Sept. 3, 2016. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster, Pool)

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The two presidents and their delegations met for more than four hours before Obama and Xi talked one-on-one


Dialogue in the dark and South China Sea disputes: Obama and Xi Jinping’s long chats and night stroll ahead of G20 summit

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}The two presidents and their delegations met for more than four hours before Obama and Xi talked one-on-one

The two presidents and their delegations met for more than four hours before Obama and Xi talked one-on-one