Imprisoned Chinese dissident Liu Xiaobo is this year's winner of the Nobel Peace Prize. Liu is a 54-year-old literary critic and democracy activist who was awarded the prize for "his long and non-violent struggle for fundamental human rights in China," the Norwegian Nobel Committee said Friday.The Chinese government reacted angrily to Liu's win. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Ma Zhao Shu said the decision to grant the award to "a criminal" is a violation of the spirit of the Nobel Peace Prize. China called in Norway's envoy to the country to protest the award, while in Oslo, the Chinese ambassador met with a Norwegian Foreign Ministry official.
Mr Liu, 54, was a key leader in the Tiananmen Square protests in 1989.
Last year he received an 11-year sentence for "inciting subversion" after drafting Charter 08 - which called for multi-party democracy and respect for human rights in China.
US President Barack Obama called for Mr Liu's immediate release.
"We call on the Chinese government to release Mr Liu as soon as possible," Mr Obama, last year's Nobel Peace Prize winner, said in a statement.In New York, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said the award to Mr Liu was "a recognition of the growing international consensus for improving human rights practices and culture around the world".
German government spokesman Steffen Seibert said China should free him so he could attend the ceremony.
France's Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner also welcomed the award and also called on China to release Mr Liu.
News of the Noble prize for Mr Liu was blacked out by Chinese state-owned media, and government censors blocked prize reports from the internet.
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