BEIJING (AP) — Norway says China has summoned its ambassador in Beijing to protest the awarding of the Nobel Peace Prize to a Chinese dissident.
Norwegian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Ragnhild Imserslund said Friday that Norwegian Ambassador to China Svein Saether was called in to China’s Foreign Ministry. And in Oslo, the Chinese ambassador to Norway met with Erik Lahnstein, a state secretary at Norway’s Foreign Ministry.
She said both meetings occurred at China’s request to express its discontent with the peace prize decision.
She said the Norwegian officials explained that the peace prize committee is independent of the government and that Norway wants to maintain good relations with China.
