China's president Xi Jinping has rejected criticism from US President Barack Obama over Chinese policy in the South China Sea.
The rejection comes amid ongoing US-China tensions on the sidelines of the Group of 20 Summit being held in China.
In discussions before the G20 summit with Obama, Xi urged the US to play rather "a constructive role" in preserving peace and stability in the South China Sea, state media reported on Sunday.
China will "unswervingly" protect its territorial sovereignty and maritime interests, Xi said at a dinner with Obama late on Saturday.
The Chinese Foreign Ministry also sharply rejected statements Obama made in an interview with US broadcaster CNN to air later on Sunday.
"We've indicated to them that there will be consequences," he said of China's actions in the South China Sea.
"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 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."
The United States had no right to make "irresponsible remarks" over the South China Sea, China asserted, with a ministry spokesman noting that Washington has not yet ratified the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.
An international court at the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague recently upheld a complaint brought by the Philippines about contested islets in the South China Sea, which holds key shipping lanes and is believed to be rich in mineral and marine resources.
China refused to take part in the arbitration and said the verdict was null and void.
