China’s foreign minister warns against giving Hong Kong protesters Nobel Peace Prize
- Wang Yi also tries to cast doubt on the origin of the coronavirus
- Norway is the third leg of his five-nation European tour intended to boost Chinese-European cooperation
China’s foreign minister warned against giving the Nobel Peace Prize to Hong Kong’s protesters, as he urged Norway to “cherish the healthy and stable” bilateral relationship that was once frozen by the award.
Wang Yi also tried to cast doubt on the origin of the coronavirus, as he faced criticism over China’s handling of the pandemic during a press conference in Oslo, the third leg of his five-nation European tour intended to boost Chinese-European cooperation.
Wang and Norwegian Foreign Minister Ine Eriksen Søreide said they focused on multilateralism, as Norway prepared to take up a rotational seat on the United Nations Security Council, of which China is a permanent member.
Asked by a reporter how China would react if the prize would go to Hong Kong protesters in future, Wang said: “I would only say one thing: In the past, today, and in future, China will firmly reject any attempt by anyone to use the Nobel Peace Prize to interfere in China's internal affairs. China is rock firm on this principle.
“We don’t want to see anyone politicise the Nobel Peace Prize,” he said.
