In 2010, the Oslo-appointed Nobel Peace Prize committee bestowed the honor on imprisoned Chinese dissident Liu Xiaobo. Furious with the selection of Liu, a human rights advocate, who is currently serving an 11-year prison sentence on spurious charges of “inciting subversion of state power,” Beijing let the relationship deteriorate and diplomatic relations mostly froze. Six years later, Oslo and Beijing announced on Monday that they would again normalize relations. Should Oslo have continued to defy Beijing? Or is China now such a major player globally that nations must maintain a relationship with Beijing, even when it comes with a high cost? Read more
