WASHINGTON, SEPTEMBER 5: WARNING China of “consequences” due to its aggressive behaviour, US President Barack Obama has asked the Communist nation to restrain itself from worrying its neighbours in the disputed South China Sea region.
“Part of what I’ve talked to communicate to President Xi (Jinping) is that the United States arrives at its power, in part, by restraining itself,” Obama said.
“You know, when we bind ourselves to a bunch of international norms and rules, it’s not because we have to, it’s because we recognise that, over the long-term, building a strong international order is in our interests. And, I think, over the long-term, it will be in China’s interests, as well,” he told CNN in an interview recorded before he left for China to attend the G20 Summit.
“So where we see them violating international rules and norms, as we have seen in some cases in the South China Sea or in some of their behaviour when it comes to economic policy, we’ve been very firm. And we’ve indicated to them that there will be consequences,” Obama said.
What the US has tried to emphasise to China is that if it is working within international rules and international norms, then they should be partners, he asserted.
“There is no reason that China and the US cannot be friendly competitors on the commercial side and important partners when it comes to dealing with the many international problems that threaten the two countries,” Obama said.
Obama noted China has been run during his lifetime by a Communist party that has been “much more anti-Western” in the past.
“We went through a period over the course of 20 years, in the ‘90s and on through maybe the onset of my presidency, where, because state-sponsored capitalism and an export-driven model was very successful, China was less interested in making waves,” Obama said.
“But, you know, you’ve got over a billion people, one of the largest economies now in the world. And so it’s to be expected that they will want a bigger seat at the table when it comes to international affairs. And what we’ve said consistently is we welcome the peaceful rise of China, consistent with international norms. That’s good for everybody. An impoverished and collapsing China would be dangerous for everybody,” Obama said.
China blames US, journalists for Obama airport fiasco
BEIJING: China on Monday levelled responsibility at the United States and journalists for a fracas at a Chinese airport, in which officials of both countries exchanged heated remarks as President Barack Obama disembarked from his aircraft.
The comments by a foreign ministry spokeswoman were in response to questions whether China, which is hosting a G20 summit meeting in its eastern city of Hangzhou, intentionally failed to provide Obama’s plane with a staircase, an event that has fuelled speculation it was a diplomatic snub.
“I think if only the American group had respected the working arrangements first made with China then this wouldn’t have occurred,” Hua Chunying told reporters in Beijing on Monday.
“You saw that all the other country leaders all used the stairs that China provided. So why was it only the United States that didn’t? These were the stairs the United States requested.”
Hua questioned why China would intentionally create trouble for the United States, adding that the incident was not a high-level issue, echoing comments made by Obama on Sunday.
A Chinese security official had also blocked National Security Adviser Susan Rice on the tarmac and yelled at another US official trying to help journalists get closer to Obama.
