China closes ranks over Nobel Peace Prize

10/12/10 10:04 CET

world news

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The international war of words over the award of the Nobel Peace Prize to a Chinese dissident will be a one-sided affair in China.

National newspapers talk of a “farce” being played out in Oslo and describe how the majority of the international community backs Beijing in its boycott of the Nobel Committee.

Foreign-based websites reporting on the prize have been blocked.

A group of German diplomats trying to visit peace laureate Liu Xiaobo’s wife at her home were told by a reinforced police presence to move along.

Residents in the Chinese capital were reluctant to express their opinions to vox-popping journalists.

Some dismissed questions by saying they did not understand politics.

One man said he thought the decision to award the Peace Prize to Liu was correct. Asked why, he said he would not comment further as Liu’s politics were different from those of the authorities.

Extra police have been brought into sensitive sites such as Tiananmen Square and the Norwegian embassy.

Across China there have been hundreds of reported cases of house arrest, travel restriction and forced relocation during the run-up to the awards ceremony.

More about: China, Nobel Prize, Norway

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