BEIJING, Nov. 4 (UPI) -- A European diplomat in Beijing says China is being "unreasonable" by urging Europeans to stay away when dissident Liu Xiaobo receives the Nobel Peace Prize.
In a relatively unusual move, China sent a diplomatic note Wednesday to European embassies in Norway that asked them to refrain from statements in support of Liu, The New York Times reported. The notes are the most significant form of communication among diplomats.
Liu, who is serving an 11-year prison sentence, will be absent. His wife, Liu Xia, has publicly issued invitations to the awards ceremony Dec. 10 in Oslo to other activists and to some well-known Chinese, but they are not expected to be allowed to leave the country.
China has become a formidable presence internationally and appears to be testing its power over other countries, the Times said. A European diplomat in Beijing said China cannot understand how its actions are hurting its reputation.
"You could expect it, because if you look at their reaction, it's been really unreasonable," he said. "It's not something that looks very good, but it's something that it seems they cannot understand."
