"Hvad vi har sagt til kineserne - og vi har været vedholdende om dette - er at I er nød til at anerkende at med øget magt kommer øget ansvarlighed," fortalte Obama til CNNs Fareed Zakaria.
Interviewet som vil blive sendt på søndag, kommer forud for Obamas sidste præsidentielle besøg til Kina for det årlige C20 topmøde som forener verdens stærkeste økonomier. Begivenheden er specielt stor for Kina. Ikke blot er det den anden gang at topmødet afholdes i Asien, men det er Kinas første gang som værende vært.
Kommentar: Denne artikel er blot delvis oversat til dansk af sott.net fra: Obama lectures China on international law in stunning display of hypocrisy
Beijing eyes the summit as an opportunity to boost both the international economy and its own. In the US, it's is seen as a potentially positive development, with just one concern.
"An impoverished, collapsing China would be dangerous for everybody," President Obama said. "What we have said consistently is that we welcome the peaceful rise of China, consistent with international norms."
Comment: What? It is clear for anyone to see that the US is impoverished and collapsing, not China. And that is dangerous for everyone!
The US president has also reiterated that the Chinese government should "stop flexing muscles" in conflicts, in particular when it comes to the dispute it has over the South China Sea. The dispute involves the Spratly and the Paracel Islands. Beijing's territorial claims to the islands partially overlap those of the Philippines, Vietnam and Taiwan, while Beijing also has ongoing territorial disputes in the area with Malaysia and Brunei.
Comment: The playground bully is never happy when other kids hit puberty and get bigger and stronger.
"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 said. "You've got to abide by international law."
Earlier in July, China refused to recognize the Hague Tribunal's ruling in favor of Philippines, saying that its Spratly Island has some with exclusive economic zones, where Chinese people have had activities for 2,000 years.
China has repeatedly warned that it will not recognize any adverse ruling from The Hague's arbitration court. Beijing boycotted the hearings at the Permanent Court of Arbitration, saying that it does not have jurisdiction to decide the dispute.
"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 recognize that over the long term, building a strong international order is in our interests."
Comment: Yeah come on China, get with the program! The order goes: 1) The Anglo-American Elite, 2) Everybody else
Speaking of interests, Obama also stressed that Beijing should show more reciprocity as it is aiming for larger growth and increased influence on the international arena.
"You can't pursue mercantilist policies that just advantage you now that you are middle-income country in many ways, even though you still have many poor people. You can't export problems. You've got to have fair trade and not just free trade. You have to open up your markets, if you expect other people to open their markets," Obama said.
While on his visit in the Chinese city of Hangzhou, the stage of the G20 summit, the US president is going to meet his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan on the sidelines of the event.
This will be their first meeting since the failed coup attempt in July, which played a significant role in souring the relations between the two countries.
"We support the Turkish people, but like any good friend, we want to give them honest feedback if we think that the steps they're taking are going to be contrary to their long-term interests and our partnership," Obama said, stressing that the reaction of the Turkish government is "understandably is scared and concerned."
Kommentar: At Obama forelæser andre om internale love er så latterligt at det knap har brug for en kommentar. De indsatte har taget over den psykiatriske afdeling.