China condemns Nobel Peace Prize to jailed dissident Liu Xiaobo
World
China condemns Nobel Peace Prize to jailed dissident Liu Xiaobo
China has condemned the decision to award the Nobel Peace Prize to jailed Chinese dissident Liu Xiaobo. Beijing has summoned the Norwegian ambassador in protest and warned that it could damage relations with Norway.China called Mr. Liu a criminal, saying the award violated Nobel principles. The Norwegian Nobel committee said Mr Liu was the foremost symbol of the struggle for human rights in China.On the other hand, the last year's Nobel Peace Prize winner and US President, Barack Obama in a statement called on the Chinese government to release Mr Liu as soon as possible.Over the last 30 years, China has made dramatic progress in economic reform and improving the lives of its people, lifting hundreds of millions out of poverty he said. But this award reminds us that political reform has not kept pace, and that the basic human rights of every man, woman and child must be respected.Other Western countries have also urged China to release Mr Liu.Mr Liu, 54, was a key leader in the Tiananmen Square protests in 1989. Last year he received an 11-year sentence for inciting subversion after drafting Charter 08 - which called for multi-party democracy and respect for human rights in China.
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