"The Norwegian government expressed open support (for the prize). It is difficult to maintain friendly relations with Norway as in the past," foreign ministry spokeswoman Jiang Yu told reporters.

In October, the Nobel Peace Prize was awarded to Liu Xiaobo, who was jailed in December 2009 for 11 years on subversion charges after co-authoring Charter 08, a bold petition calling for democratic reform in one-party China.

Beijing was furious over the decision to honour Liu, saying it was tantamount to encouraging crime.

But Norway said Thursday that China had only itself to blame for any deterioration in ties.

"China will have to bear the responsibility of eventual negative consequences that the peace prize could have for bilateral relations," foreign ministry spokesman Kjetil Elsebutangen told AFP.

"Norway believes there are no reasons for the (Nobel) committee's decision to have consequences for the relationship" between China and Norway, he added.

Liu is to be honoured at the Nobel Peace Prize ceremony in Oslo on December 10, though neither the jailed writer nor members of his family are expected to attend. His wife Liu Xia is under house arrest.

"The Nobel committee gave this year's peace prize to a criminal serving a sentence because of breaking the law in China," Jiang said.

"It is in open support of criminal activities in China and it is a flagrant provocation and interference in China's judicial sovereignty," she said.

"If competent authorities in China have concerns and reservations over forging ahead in promoting cooperative relations with Norway, it is understandable."

Oslo said Tuesday that Beijing had indefinitely postponed negotiations with Norway aimed at concluding a free trade accord, in what appeared to be the latest repercussion over the Nobel peace prize.

According to an informal schedule, a new round of trade talks between the two countries had been set to take place around the new year.

But the Chinese have "indicated that they needed more time for internal consultations before a new date can be set for this meeting," Norwegian trade and industry ministry spokesman Oeyvind Arum told AFP.

China has pressured nations not to attend the Nobel ceremony. Six countries -- China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Cuba, Morocco and Iraq -- have so far told the Nobel Institute they would not take part.

However, the Nobel Institute said outgoing US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi -- the third-highest official under the US constitution -- would come to Oslo, in unusually high representation for a ceremony usually attended by ambassadors.

With neither Liu nor any of his close relatives able to attend, the Nobel Peace Prize will not be handed over during the ceremony for only the second time in its history.

The last time that happened was in 1936.

Radical German pacifist Carl von Ossietzky, awarded the Peace Prize in 1935, could not attend because he was interned in a Nazi concentration camp. In obscure circumstances, a German lawyer showed up and pocketed his prize.

Myanmar democracy activist Aung San Suu Kyi was under house arrest when she won the prize in 1991 but her teenage sons, who are half British, accepted on her behalf.

The junta in Myanmar, also known as Burma, freed Aung San Suu Kyi earlier this month, leaving Liu as the only detained Nobel laureate.

Scores of activists and lawyers have been prevented from leaving China in recent weeks in what is widely seen as a crackdown linked to the prize.

Chinese artist Ai Weiwei said Thursday he had been prevented from leaving China shortly before his plane to South Korea was due to leave, in a move he believed was linked with the Nobel ceremony, though he said he had never planned to attend.

earlier related report
Norway says China to blame if Nobel tarnishes ties
Oslo (AFP) Dec 2, 2010 - Norway said Thursday China would only have itself to blame for a deterioration in bilateral relations following this year's attribution of the Nobel Peace Prize to a jailed Chinese dissent.

Norway's comments came after new declarations from Beijing that awarding the prize to Liu Xiaobo would make it difficult to maintain "friendly relations" between the two countries.

"China will have to bear the responsibility of eventual negative consequences that the peace prize could have for bilateral relations," foreign ministry spokesman Kjetil Elsebutangen told AFP.

"Norway believes there are no reasons for the (Nobel) committee's decision to have consequences for the relationship" between China and Norway, he added.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Jiang Yu told reporters Thursday: "It is difficult to maintain friendly relations with Norway as in the past," because "the Norwegian government expressed open support (for the prize)."

Oslo said Tuesday that Beijing had indefinitely postponed negotiations with Norway aimed at concluding a free trade accord, in what appeared to be the latest repercussion over the Nobel peace prize.

According to an informal schedule, a new round of trade talks between the two countries had been set to take place around the new year.

But the Chinese have "indicated that they needed more time for internal consultations before a new date can be set for this meeting," Norwegian trade and industry ministry spokesman Oeyvind Arum told AFP.

Liu, a former professor and author, was sentenced in December 2009 to 11 years in prison on subversion charges after co-authoring "Charter 08," a manifesto that spread quickly on the Internet calling for political reform and greater rights in China.

Beijing has branded him a criminal.

The December 10 Nobel Peace Prize ceremony is set to take place without Liu, still in jail, and without his close family members who will unlikely be able to leave China.

Attendance this year has taken on a particular significance as China warned countries that support for the laureate would face consequences.

Six countries -- China, Cuba, Iraq, Kazakhstan, Morocco and Russia -- are so far known to have declined the invitation.

Some, like Russia, have indicated they were not sending anyone because of scheduling issues rather than political motivation.

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