Nobel laureate Mo Yan rejects criticism over 'party ties'
Nobel Prize winner answers critics who say he has close ties to authorities and tells of his hope that jailed dissident Liu Xiaobo will be set free
Mo Yan, winner of the Nobel Prize for literature, hit back yesterday at criticism of his perceived close ties to the authorities.
And, speaking to media who flocked to his hometown of Gaomi , in Shandong , the day after he won the prize, he also spoke of his wish to see the release of jailed dissident writer Liu Xiaobo , who won the Nobel Peace Prize two years ago.
"I hope he can achieve his freedom as soon as possible," Mo Yan said, adding, without elaboration, that Liu should be able to continue research on "politics and the social system".
His comments marked a major departure from his earlier silence on Liu's plight, which saw him criticised by some for condoning a repressive regime.
Mo Yan also defended his decision to join 100 writers and artists who commemorated Mao Zedong's 1942 Yanan Talks - a set of doctrines that shaped literature under early Communist Party rule - by hand-copying the transcript.
Despite criticism, he said he was not ashamed of his involvement in the commemoration, even though the document was not totally relevant now.
"The award is a victory for literature instead of political correctness because my writings transcended politics … I am writing in a China under Communist Party leaders. However, my works cannot be restricted by political parties."