BEIJING, Nov. 20 (Xinhua) -- China on Tuesday urged Germany to take effective measures to mend Sino-German ties which it says have been undermined by Chancellor Angela Merkel's meeting with Dalai Lama.

    "The German leader's meeting with Dalai Lama has severely impaired Sino-German ties and damaged the common interests of both countries," Foreign Ministry spokesman Liu Jianchao told a regular news briefing.

    "China attached great importance to the relations with Germany and we feel sorry for the damage of bilateral ties," Liu said.

    He urged the German side to take effective actions as soon as possible to erase the shadow that had been cast on the ties.

    China is confident about the prospects for Sino-German ties, said the spokesman. China values the position Germany holds in the European Union, and the role it plays in the European Union on promoting China-EU relations, he said.

    "As a country that holds such a vital position and plays such akey role, Germany, in dealing with Sino-German ties, should not only take the common interests of both countries into consideration, but also think over the overall ties between China and EU," Liu said.