Update | China rebuffs US calls for release of Nobel Peace Prize winner Liu Xiaobo
Human rights a matter for China, not US, Beijing affirms
Beijing on Tuesday rejected a call by US Secretary of State John Kerry to release jailed Nobel Peace Prize winner Liu Xiaobo, saying human rights were a matter for its people only.
Kerry on Monday urged Chinese authorities to free Liu, five years after he was detained, and voiced concern at Beijing’s clampdown on other activists including anti-corruption campaigner Xu Zhiyong.
I want to suggest that only the 1.3 billion Chinese people have a say on China’s human rights
China’s foreign ministry spokesman Hong Lei said Liu and Xu had “violated Chinese laws and they are to be punished by Chinese laws”.
“I want to suggest that only the 1.3 billion Chinese people have a say on China’s human rights,” the spokesman added.
“We hope the US can bear in mind the overall interests of bilateral relations and do more things that are conducive to a bilateral relationship,” he added.
US Secretary of State John Kerry on Monday urged China to free Nobel Peace Prize winner Liu Xiaobo as the writer and activist marked five years in detention.
“We strongly urge Chinese authorities to release Liu Xiaobo, to end Liu Xia’s house arrest and to guarantee to Liu Xiaobo and his family members all internationally recognised human rights protections and freedoms,” Kerry said in a statement.
While calling for a “constructive relationship” with the Asian power, Kerry said: “We continue to believe that respect for international human rights is critical to China’s growth, prosperity, and long-term stability.
Liu was detained in 2008 after spearheading Charter 08, a bold petition for greater protection of human rights in the communist country. The following year, he was handed an 11-year sentence for subversion.
China voiced outrage over the Nobel committee’s decision to grant the prestigious prize to Liu, with authorities trying to block out the news and putting his wife under house arrest.
Liu’s supporters have voiced fear that pressure will gradually ease on China to free Liu as time passes and the spotlight fades.
A lawyer for the Nobel laureate said last month that he will appeal the conviction. In a rare statement, Liu Xia in June appealed to President Xi Jinping to choose “justice” over “merciless oppression.”
