US President Barack Obama has urged China to abide by its obligations under an international treaty in its activities in the South China Sea.

He made the comments during a “candid exchange” with his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, in Hangzhou before the G20 summit, the White House said.

In July, an international tribunal ruled against Chinese claims to rights in the South China Sea.

China dismissed the ruling and said it would not be bound by it.
The ruling was made by an arbitration tribunal under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), which both China and the country that brought the case – the Philippines – have signed.

The White House said Mr Obama emphasised “the importance for China, as a signatory to UNCLOS, to abide by its obligations under that treaty, which the United States views as critical to maintaining the rules-based international order”.

Chinese media reports on the meeting between Mr Obama and Mr Xi made no mention of any discussion about the South China Sea.

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-china-37267372