Chinese official calls Nobel Prize award 'blasphemy'

The awarding of the Nobel Peace Prize to Liu Xiaobo was "blasphemy against the peace prize" that could harm relations between China and Norway, a Chinese foreign ministry spokesman said Fri.

The spokesman said the award is supposed to be given to "promote national harmony, international friendship" and those who work to pursue peace. "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," spokesman Mao Zhaoxu said.

The strongly-worded response is a stark contrast to glowing reaction from around the world to Friday's pick of Liu for the prize.

Liu is serving an 11-year prison term and was sentenced in 2009 for inciting subversion of state power.

He's 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.

Awarding of the prize to Liu will harm future dealings between the nations, the spokesman said.

"Recently, China-Norway have had good relations," the statement said. "The Nobel Prize committee giving the Nobel Peace Prize to Liu Xiaobo went against the purpose of the prize, and will also harm China-Norwayrelations."