Obama calls for `tangible steps` to lower South China Sea tensions

Washnigton: US President Barack Obama on Tuesday called for "tangible steps" to lower tensions in the South China Sea over disputed islands and waters, as Washington`s allies in Southeast Asia bristle over Beijing`s territorial claims.

"Any disputes between claimants in the region must be resolved peacefully," Obama told a press conference in California after talks with representatives of 10 Southeast Asian nations.

Obama said possible "tangible steps" included a "halt to further reclamation, new construction and militarization of disputed areas" -- a thinly veiled warning to China over its activities.