Chinese official calls Nobel Prize award 'blasphemy'
By the CNN Wire Staff
October 8, 2010 -- Updated 1437 GMT (2237 HKT)
(CNN) -- Beijing blasted a Chinese dissident's Nobel Peace Prize win on Friday, calling the decision to award Liu Xiaobo the honor "blasphemy."
Ma Zhaoxu, spokesman for China's foreign ministry, said the award is supposed to be given to those who "promote national harmony, international friendship" and work toward peace.
Liu is serving an 11-year prison term after being sentenced in 2009 for inciting subversion of state power. He is the co-author of Charter 08, a call for political reform and human rights, and was an adviser to the student protesters at Tiananmen Square in 1989.
"Liu Xiaobo is a convicted criminal sentenced to jail by Chinese justice. His acts are in complete contradiction to the purpose of the Nobel Peace Prize," Ma said.
The selection of Liu was made by the Norwegian Nobel Committee, whose president said the dissident won for his "long and nonviolent struggle for fundamental human rights in China."
However, Ma said that while China and Norway have recently had "good relations," the committee's decision would harm future dealings between China and Norway.
The Nobel Committee stood by its choice and said it had expected China to react strongly.
"We have a very strong tradition of awarding the prize to human rights activists of many different kinds," said Geir Lundestad, director of the Nobel Institute.
The institute assists the committee in selecting the prize each year.
Lundestad cited German pacifist and journalist Carl von Ossietzky in 1935, Holocaust survivor Elie Wiesel in 1986, Myanmar pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi in 1991 and Iranian campaigner Shirin Ebadi in 2003 as examples of human rights activists who have won the prize.
Imprisoned Liu follows in footsteps of Suu Kyi, Sakharov
"This is a tradition we are very proud of, and this is a tradition for which the Norwegian Nobel Committee has received much applause," Lundestad said. "We felt that if we were serious about this tradition, we did have to come to terms with the question of China in this perspective, and this is what we then did this year."
China's strongly worded response came in stark contrast to glowing reaction from around the world.
"Awarding the peace prize to him is the international community's recognition of the increasing voices among the Chinese people in pushing China toward political, legal and constitutional reforms," said the Dalai Lama, who won the prize in 1989. "I believe in the years ahead, future generations of Chinese will be able to enjoy the fruits of the efforts that the current Chinese citizens are making toward responsible governance."
Liu's wife, Liu Xia, told CNN she could not wait to visit him in prison in northern China and tell him the news. She said she was packing under the surveillance of police officers who have promised to take her to visit her husband the next day.
"I am totally shocked and feel so happy," she said. "I've never dreamed about this. Friends have asked me to prepare for a speech, but I've only prepared one for Xiaobo not winning the prize."
Liu Xia said she regretted her husband couldn't share the moment with her. She said he will be "surprised and humbled" to find out, but also feel "a greater sense of responsibilities" because of the great honor.
"It's an affirmation of what he has fought for," she said.