China says awarding Nobel Peace Prize to Liu Xiaobo was 'blasphemy'

China said today that awarding the Nobel Peace Prize to pro-democracy activist Liu Xiaobo amounted to "blasphemy" and lodged protests with several countries, including the US, for making "irresponsible statements" on the death of the prominent dissident.

Liu, China's best-known human rights prisoner, died yesterday at age 61 following a battle with liver cancer. The Nobel Peace Prize laureate who spent his last eight years as a prisoner of conscience died at a hospital in Shenyang, China.

He was granted medical parole in June after receiving his diagnosis in prison, but China did not let him seek treatment abroad despite Liu's wishes and international pressure.

Liu's death led to international criticism of China's handling of the issue. The leader of the Norwegian Nobel committee Berit Reiss-Andersen said the Chinese government bore a "heavy responsibility" for Liu's death.

Answering a barrage of questions today over the death of Liu, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said China had lodged protests with "certain countries" for interfering in its "judicial sovereignty".

"Liu is a prisoner who was sentenced to imprisonment in accordance with Chinese law...Conferring the prize to such a person goes against the purposes of this award. It's a blasphemy of the peace prize," Geng said, referring to the Nobel Peace Prize awarded to Liu in 2010.
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