China questions 'true intentions' of Nobel Peace Prize award
China Tuesday questioned the "true intentions" of those who awarded the 2010 Nobel Peace Prize to Liu Xiaobo, accusing them of disrespecting the Chinese judicial system.
"The Norwegian Nobel Committee, by giving the Peace Prize to a convicted person in China, shows no respect for the judicial system of China," Foreign Ministry spokesman Ma Zhaoxu said at a regular press conference in Beijing.
Ma's comments came after he was asked to comment on the award, which was announced Friday in Oslo, Norway.
He said politicians from some countries are using the award as an opportunity to attack China.
"This is not only disrespect for China's judicial system but also puts a big question mark on their true intention."
Liu was sentenced to 11 years in jail on Dec. 25, 2009, after a court in Beijing convicted him of agitation aimed at subverting the government.
Ma said China has made remarkable achievements in development since the start of the reform and opening-up, including continuous progress in human rights. "This is widely acknowledged by the international community."
"If some people try to change China's political system in this way and try to stop the Chinese people from moving forward, they are obviously making a mistake," he said.
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