BEIJING, July 12 (Xinhua) -- China strongly deplores and firmly opposes the statement made by Japan's Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi ten years after the so-called "2016 Arbitral Award on the South China Sea," a Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson said here on Sunday.
The statement blatantly endorses the illegal "award," attacks China's lawful claims and mischaracterizes Japan as a "legitimate stakeholder who uses the South China Sea," said the spokesperson.
China urges Japan to stop smearing China, stop sowing disinformation in the South China Sea, and stop undermining peace and stability in the region, said the spokesperson, adding that China will continue firmly defending its territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests in the South China Sea.
Any attempts to challenge China's lawful rights and interests and undermine peace and stability in the South China Sea are doomed to fail, the spokesperson said. ■
