The tensions between China and Vietnam, or China and the Philippines, or China and other claimants in the East Sea (internationally called the South China Sea) are not of our making, said US President Barack Obama on the sidelines of the expanded G7 Summit in Japan.

Below is an excerpt from his remarks regarding the US-Vietnam and China relations:

"So, just very briefly, on China.

Our growing partnership with Vietnam is happening entirely independent from China, and is based on mutual interests to expand trade, to expand cooperation across a whole range of areas, and is 30 years in the making now. So the fact that China would perceive that as some sort of provocation to them I think says more about Chinese attitudes than it says anything about our attitudes.

The tensions between China and Vietnam, or China and the Philippines, or China and other claimants in the East Sea are not of our making. And we would very much like to see a peaceful resolution of those disputes.

What’s preventing that from happening is not anything we're doing. We would welcome China and Vietnam having a conversation and being able to resolve those disputes. We're not taking a position on those claims.

So it's entirely within China’s power to resolve those disputes. And our goal with respect to our own interest in the East Sea is simply to maintain freedom of navigation, freedom of overflight, and the maintenance of international rules and norms because we think that benefits everybody, including China".

White House