President Obama and a number of leaders from Asian countries met in Washington on Thursday to discuss nuclear security in the region, with the United States, South Korea and Japan looking to strengthen their alliance as North Korea advances its weapons program despite international sanctions.

The talks have been overshadowed by the separate, 90-minute meeting between President Obama and Chinese President Xi Jinping over what concessions can be made as each country jostles for territory and influence in the South China Sea.

Since 2014, China has reclaimed over 3,000 acres of land across the Spratly Islands, constructing a constellation of military outposts built of dredged sand atop coral reefs - some over 500 miles from mainland China's shores - which house powerful radar facilities and aircraft landing strips. China's emboldened military presence in the area has created anxiety for its neighbors, including the Philippines, which has challenged China's right to the territory in a Hague-based arbitration hearing to be resolved this year.

The United States has responded by placing warships on patrol throughout the South China Sea, a defiantly symbolic gesture that solidifies both America's allegiance to its regional allies, as well as the perceived geopolitical interests at stake in the disputed waters. 

Meanwhile, China claims that it has a historical right to the South China Sea, and that the U.S. is overstepping.

Bonnie Glaser, Senior Adviser for Asia at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, discusses any possibilities for a consensus between the two countries.