Beijing launches another salvo against Nobel Committee
Beijing (AsiaNews) – China protested again against the attribution of this year's Nobel Peace Prize to Liu Xiaobo, co-author of Charter 08, a pro-democracy manifesto, a day before the formal ceremony. “The vast majority of the international community does not support the Nobel Committee's wrong decision and any move by the committee will not change the fact that Liu Xiaobo committed crimes," Foreign Ministry Jinag Yu said today.
“The people on the Nobel Committee must admit they are the minority. The Chinese people and a majority of countries and people in the world all oppose what they have done," Jiang said. "Any attempt to use the issue to exert pressure on China or block China's development cannot succeed”.
Two days ago, Ms Jiang referred to the members of the Nobel committee as "clowns", and accused them of orchestrating an "anti-China fuss".
China’s state media also did not pull any punch. Xinhua accused the West of "launching a new round of China-bashing" despite the fact that Liu is criminal who “has done everything he could to subvert the Chinese government.”
“Just look at how this year's Peace Prize has caused the world confusion and divisions!” wrote popular tabloid the Global Times, run by Communist Party mouthpiece the People's Daily. Far from being a sign of peace, the prize for the paper symbolises hatred towards China.
Liu Xiaobo, 54, will not be able to withdraw the prize. It is unclear whether anyone will be able to do it on his behalf. The dissident intellectual has been in prison since December 2009, purging an 11-year sentence on subversion charges. His wife, Liu Xia, is under house arrest since October, when the award was announced. Family, friends and fellow activists are in constant danger. However, New York-based Chinese dissident Yiang Jianli will represent the Nobel laureate at the ceremony on the suggestion of Liu’s wife.
Many countries have bowed to Beijing’s pressures and chosen not to be represented at the award ceremony. The latest is the Philippines, where the decision has been greeted by a passionate debate among political groups.
In response to the Norwegian Committee’s decision, China has decided to give former Taiwanese Vice President Lien Chan its own Confucius Prize.
A press release by the prize’s organisers described it as a "peaceful response" to the Norwegian award, a token of the Chinese people’s vision of peace. This ceremony is also set for tomorrow.
Lien Chan is honorary chairman of the Kuomintang. Now based only in Taiwan, China’s old Nationalist Party is in favour of reunification, but Chan’s office said he was unaware of the award. In an ironic twist of fate, he too will not attend the award ceremony in his honour.
In making its announcement, the Confucius Prize Committee also said that it was looking forward to working with the Norwegian Committee to award their respective prizes to the same person in the future.
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10/12/2010
