President Barack Obama told a news conference that the leaders he met on Wednesday had reaffirmed "our strong commitment to a regional order where international rules and norms and the rights of all nations, large and small, are upheld."

President Obama said freedom of navigation "must be upheld, and lawful commerce should not be impeded," and added the United States would "continue to fly, sail and operate wherever international law allows, and ... support the right of all countries to do the same."

"For the sake of regional stability the claimants should halt reclamation, construction and militarisation of disputed areas." Mr Obama said.

When I first heard the above, I thought finally Obama had worked-up enough courage to “call-out” the Zionists for the continuing crimes against the Palestinian people, but then I realised that he was hypocritically seeking to lecture China for its alleged naughty behaviour in the South China Sea.