President Barack Obama has said that while some of China’s territorial claims in the South China Sea may be legitimate, Beijing “shouldn’t just try to establish that based on throwing elbows and pushing people out of the way.” Obama, in a discussion at the White House with a group of young leaders from Southeast Asian nations, said land reclamation projects in the South China Sea and West Philippine Sea were unproductive and called for an end to aggressive actions by all parties concerned. “China is going to be successful. It’s big, it’s powerful, its people are talented and they work hard. And it may be some of their claims are legitimate,” Obama said during the discussion. In Vietnam, US Defense Secretary Ashton Carter said the US is not looking to militarize or escalate the situation in the South China Sea and West Philippine Sea where China and five other claimants, including the Philippines and Vietnam, are at loggerheads over disputed rocks, shoals and islands.

Katigbak, J. (2015, June 3). US warns China 'throwin elbows'. Philippine Star, pp. 1, 7.