China warns European nations of 'consequences' for Nobel support

Fri, 05 Nov 2010

Beijing - A Chinese official on Friday warned European nations that they would face diplomatic consequences if they continued public support for jailed Nobel Peace Prize winner Liu Xiaobo.

Nations voicing support for Liu were playing "political games" and would damage diplomatic relations with China, Vice Foreign Minister Cui Tiankai told reporters.

"So the choice before some European countries and others is clear and simple," Cui said.

"Do they want to be part of the political games, and do they want to be part of the effort to challenge the Chinese judicial system, or do they want to want to develop friendly relations with the Chinese government and people.

"If they make the wrong choice, they will have to bear the consequences," he said.

Cui's remarks follow reports that Chinese officials in Oslo warned some European nations' ambassadors to Norway against attending the presentation ceremony of the Nobel Peace Prize in the city on December 10.

A German official confirmed that the German embassy in Oslo received a "verbal note" from a Chinese diplomat and said other European embassies in Oslo were given similar messages.

German diplomats replied that Chancellor Angela Merkel and Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle had welcomed the award of the prize to Liu and had expressed hope that China would allow the dissident writer to collect the prize in person, the official told the German Press Agency dpa.

"Germany traditionally takes part in the Nobel (peace) prize ceremony. There is no reason not to follow this long-standing practice," the official quoted the German diplomats as saying.

China's ruling Communist Party reacted with hostility to the award of the prize on October 8 and placed Liu's wife, Liu Xia, under house arrest.

The Foreign Ministry earlier insisted that Liu Xiaobo was a "convicted criminal" under Chinese law and urged the Nobel Committee and foreign governments not to "interfere in China's internal affairs."

Liu Xiaobo, a prominent writer and one of China's leading dissidents, was arrested in December 2008 for his part in writing the Charter '08 for democratic reform. He was sentenced to 11 years in prison for subversion.

The government has kept many other dissidents and rights activists under house arrest or other forms of detention since October 8 to prevent them from publicly celebrating the award or supporting Liu.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/news/352084,nations-consequences-nobel-support.html.