Main focus of Monday, October 11, 2010

Nobel Committee shows politicians the way

The leadership in Beijing has reacted aggressively to expressions of solidarity with this year's Nobel Peace Prize winner Liu Xiaobo by blocking international television stations and Websites. Europe's press writes that China is acting like a rogue state and calls on politicians to be less submissive in dealing with the economic giant.

Neue Zürcher Zeitung - Switzerland

The Nobel Peace Prize for Chinese civil rights activist Liu Xiaobo is provoking harsh reactions from the Beijing regime but won't change a thing, writes the liberal conservative daily Neue Zürcher Zeitung: "It may soothe bad consciences to give the Nobel Peace Prize to a Chinese dissident, but it won't have any effect on the political subservience practiced by the Western states towards the rulers of the great economic power China. … Putting the spotlight on the Chinese regime by awarding the Nobel Peace Prize to a Chinese dissident will only toughen Beijing's stance. And because many Western states have kowtowed to China again and again the signal from Oslo only lays bare their hypocrisy. Clear political positions regarding China are urgently needed - however not through the awarding of a prize but in often unspectacular everyday politics and even when one's own interests may be affected. China will hardly listen now that it's in the pillory." (09/10/2010)

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Le Monde - France

China has reacted like a rogue state to the announcement on Friday that this year's Nobel Peace Prize will go to dissident Liu Xiaobo, writes the daily Le Monde: "As soon as the prize was announced ... the Internet censors went to work blocking activity in solidarity with Liu Xiaobo on the Net. The government was dreading this decision. It had even sent the Vice Minister for Foreign Affairs, Fu Ying, to Oslo in September to warn the Norwegians against a worsening of bilateral relations if the Nobel Committee gave the prize to Liu Xiaobo. The Committee would have nothing of these intimidations, and was remarkably clear in its statement explaining the decision: Yes, China has made unprecedented economic progress. ... Nevertheless 'China's new status should bring with it heightened responsibility'. China strives to achieve international respect and cannot go on hedging indefinitely. You don't attain the status of a superpower by acting like a rogue state." (09/10/2010)

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Público - Portugal

By awarding the Nobel Peace Prize to Liu Xiaobo the Nobel Committee has shown more courage than the foreign policy makers in Europe and the US, writes the daily Público: "By exposing the dark side of China's success the Nobel Committee has done a service to peace and democracy. … The decision of the Norwegian academy will force the world to look at this political prisoner and revive the muted debate about the systematic and continued violations of human rights in China. It would be good if public opinion in Europe and the US started to question the cynic foreign politics of their leaders. As China's economic power grew over the past two decades the latter have steadily lowered their demands that it respect democratic values and the rule of law. The brave decision of the Norwegian academy will be a wake up call for the West's critical conscience." (09/10/2010)

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Pravda - Slovakia

The fact that the dissident Liu Xiaobo has been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize won't change much, the leftist daily Pravda writes: "When the Dalai Lama won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1989 China was a different country. Only afterwards were the protests at Tiananmen Square bloodily quashed. The country was at the beginning of its economic reforms. Today's China is on the way to becoming the strongest power in the world and is already an important trade partner for the advanced countries. … The prize raises Liu Xiaobo's political status. It will be good for him that part of the world is now demanding his release. Less positive is that it will hardly be achieved. Most of the politicians who are reprimanding China for his imprisonment today will soon be shaking the hands of the Chinese leaders. This is the way of the world." (10/10/2010)

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