Epress.am News from Armenia
Norway felt the full force of China’s anger on Tuesday over the awarding of the Nobel peace prize to a jailed dissident as Beijing scrapped a ministerial meeting and forced a touring musical off stage, AFP reports.
A meeting planned for Wednesday in Beijing between Fisheries Minister Lisbeth Berg-Hansen and Chinese food control authorities was cancelled at the last minute, the Norwegian government said.
“According to the explanation was have received, it is because our counterparts had other engagements,” Ragnhild Imerslund of the Norwegian foreign ministry told AFP.
A meeting the scheduled the same day between Berg-Hansen and China’s vice-minister for fisheries had previously been cancelled, in what Norwegian officials said appeared to be a reaction to this year’s Nobel Peace Prize choice.
Chinese authorities also cancelled performances scheduled for next month of a Norwegian musical starring Eurovision 2009 winner Alexander Rybak.
“According to what they’ve told us, it is a sanction in response to the awarding of the Peace Prize to a Chinese opposition figure,” the musical’s composer Thomas Stanghelle told TV2 news.
“I find it very unfortunate that they are cancelling a show about handicapped people’s rights and possibilities,” he added, saying he was “extremely sad.”
Chinese authorities had in advance cautioned the Norwegian Nobel Committee against handing the award to Liu Xiaobo, and after the prize was awarded last Friday, Beijing said the choice would “harm the Sino-Norwegian relationship.”
The five members of the Norwegian Nobel Committee are appointed by parliament but are independent of the Norwegian government and the house.