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BEIJING: The Nobel Prize for peace is set to become a factor causing serious friction between China and Norway if the Nobel committee finally gives the award to one of the hotly supported nominees, Chinese dissident Liu Xiaobo. Liu is in prison for what China describes as subversive activities.
The Chinese foreign ministry on Tuesday made its displeasure over the move apparent. It even suggested that Sino-Norway economic relations including the move for signing a free trade agreement would be endangered if Liu is given the prize.
Beijing is worried because the 1989 award of Nobel peace prize to the Dalai Lama has already caused a serious loss of image in the human rights field. Liu last year obtained signatures from 303 prominent Chinese intellectuals on a memorandum demanding constitutional changes and better human rights conditions, sources said.
Foreign ministry spokeswoman Jiang Yu on Tuesday said Liu did not deserve the prize as he has violated the law in China, and his act is detriment to rule of law and human rights. She stressed the growing trade and economic relationship between China and Norway indicating that it would be put to risk if the prize sent to Liu.
Jiang faced several questions from foreign correspondents following a statement by Geir Lundestad, secretary of the Norwegian Nobel Committee that China was putting pressure to ensure that Liu is not rewarded. Lundestad also said the Nobel committee is independent and ignores pressure to influence its decisions.
The spokeswoman refused to be drawn into a discussion on the nature of charges that resulted in a court sending Liu to jail last year. Liu has been given 11 years in jail, sources said. The document circulated by Liu and his friends was ultimately signed by 10,000 people, sources said.
There is an international campaign for awarding Liu the Nobel Prize. Former Czech President Vaclav Havel and two fellow former Czech dissidents, Dana Nemcova and Vaclav Maly, have written an article in the New York Times asking the Nobel committee to award the prize to him.
Read more: China pushes Norway to stop key dissident getting Nobel Peace Prize - The Times of India China pushes Norway to stop key dissident getting Nobel Peace Prize - The Times of India
The Chinese foreign ministry on Tuesday made its displeasure over the move apparent. It even suggested that Sino-Norway economic relations including the move for signing a free trade agreement would be endangered if Liu is given the prize.
Beijing is worried because the 1989 award of Nobel peace prize to the Dalai Lama has already caused a serious loss of image in the human rights field. Liu last year obtained signatures from 303 prominent Chinese intellectuals on a memorandum demanding constitutional changes and better human rights conditions, sources said.
Foreign ministry spokeswoman Jiang Yu on Tuesday said Liu did not deserve the prize as he has violated the law in China, and his act is detriment to rule of law and human rights. She stressed the growing trade and economic relationship between China and Norway indicating that it would be put to risk if the prize sent to Liu.
Jiang faced several questions from foreign correspondents following a statement by Geir Lundestad, secretary of the Norwegian Nobel Committee that China was putting pressure to ensure that Liu is not rewarded. Lundestad also said the Nobel committee is independent and ignores pressure to influence its decisions.
The spokeswoman refused to be drawn into a discussion on the nature of charges that resulted in a court sending Liu to jail last year. Liu has been given 11 years in jail, sources said. The document circulated by Liu and his friends was ultimately signed by 10,000 people, sources said.
There is an international campaign for awarding Liu the Nobel Prize. Former Czech President Vaclav Havel and two fellow former Czech dissidents, Dana Nemcova and Vaclav Maly, have written an article in the New York Times asking the Nobel committee to award the prize to him.
Read more: China pushes Norway to stop key dissident getting Nobel Peace Prize - The Times of India China pushes Norway to stop key dissident getting Nobel Peace Prize - The Times of India
