China urges Europe to act prudently on South China Sea issues

BEIJING, July 14 (Xinhua) -- China urges European states to act prudently and stop endorsing the illegal "South China Sea Arbitration Award" to avoid disrupting relations and cooperation with China, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said Tuesday.

Several European countries recently joined the United States and the Philippines in issuing a joint statement on the so-called award 10 years after its issuance, and the European Union released a separate statement.

"These statements distort facts and maliciously smear China. China strongly deplores and firmly opposes them," Lin said at a regular news briefing.