United States President Barack Obama has warned China against bullying its neighbors in the South China Sea as he arrived in Beijing on Saturday ahead of the G20 Summit.

Obama's trip to China marks the first leg of his final tour of Asia, which includes attending an ASEAN meeting in Laos from September 6-8 after the G20 Hangzhou Summit from September 4-5.

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In an interview with CNN, Obama said China must exercise restraint at all times in dealing with its South China Sea neighbors and should stop bullying rival claimants to the disputed maritime territory.

Restraint

Obama said he that has tried to convince China's President Xi Jinping about the benefits of restraint saying part of the US' military power can be attributed to its ability to restrain itself in the face of crisis.

"Part of what I've tried to communicate to President Xi is that the United States arrives at its power, in part, by restraining itself," Obama told CNN in an interview.

Obama said China has been "doing it all wrong" by rejecting the recent arbitration court ruling denying its claims to almost the entirety of the South China Sea, and continuing to flex its muscles militarily in the region.

Bully

"If you sign a treaty that calls for international arbitration around maritime issues, the fact that you're bigger than the Philippines or Vietnam or other countries ... is not a reason for you to go around and flex your muscles," Obama pointed out.

The US President said China should abide by the arbitration court ruling and not bully its neighbors in the disputed South China Sea region.

Obama said Washington has been firm in its response to China's violations of international law and norms, warning Beijing that it would face serious consequences if it continues to reject the ruling.

Diplomatic relations

Diplomatic relations between Washington and Beijing have turned sour as both nations have clashed over the South China Sea dispute.

President Xi has been pushing aggresively pushing to defend China's rights to disputed territory in the South China Sea. Recently, Xi said China would continue to defend its sovereignty despite the arbitration court ruling which found that China's artificial island building had caused severe damage to the corals and reefs of the disputed sea.

The court rejected China's claims saying thatBeijing had violated the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and the Philippines' rights to explore its resources within its exclusive economic zone.

However, China has refused to abide by the ruling, describing it was "illegal" and "null and void."

President Xi has said that Beijing would not accept any actions or propositions by any state based on the court ruling. 

TagsHangzhou summit, South China Sea, G20 summit, President Barack Obama, President Xi Jinping, china