Obama, Xi Address South China Sea Row, North Korea Ahead of G20 Summit

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — The summit of leaders from the world’s 20 major economies begins officially on Sunday, but a series of bilateral meetings took place in eastern China’s Hangzhou throughout Saturday.

The White House said in a statement that the two presidents had "a candid exchange" on the recent Hague tribunal ruling that denied China’s claim to South China Sea resources and said it violated the sovereign rights of the Philippines.

"The President [Obama] 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 overflight," the statement read.

Obama also pressed China on human rights and freedom of religion and voiced concern over China’s adherence to earlier cybersecurity commitments, as well the need to protect US companies’ rights for a "level playing field" in China.

North Korea’s missile program was also raised, with both presidents agreeing that Pyongyang’s pursuit of nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles presented a threat to the region. They said they would cooperate on achieving the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula in line with UN resolutions.