China’s record for violating human rights was called into question again this month, after Norway awarded literary professor and civil rights activist Liu Xiaobo the Nobel Peace Prize. Xiaobo was first imprisoned for his involvement in the 1989 Tiananmen Square student protests, now infamous worldwide for the government’s subsequent crackdown. He served in a labour camp for a period in the 1990s, and co-wrote ‘Charter 08’: a controversial document calling for democratic reform in China, for which he is currently serving an eleven-year prison sentence.

Diplomatic relations between China and Norway have been damaged by the latter’s decision to award Xiaobo the Peace Prize; Foreign Ministry Spokesman for China Ma Zhaoxu denounced the award as a “blasphemy”, while news channels and websites covering the event in Oslo were heavily censored. There are now fears that Xiaobo’s wife, Liu Xia, will not be allowed to receive the award on behalf of her husband and several of his supporters have been cautioned or detained following the news.

This of course reflects China’s steadfast belief that no one should challenge the political status quo; that there are no dissidents, only criminals. With a population of over 1.3 billion people, and an ever-increasing sphere of influence as an emerging geopolitical power, it isn’t only Western society that is now calling for greater scrutiny of China’s treatment towards its citizens. Last week Chinese Communist Party veterans defied the government, signing an open letter that condemned the ‘invisible black hand’ of the Chinese propaganda department. The senior ex officials who were already known for their reformist views, are unlikely to make an impact outside of intellectual circles, but could encourage other activists to speak out.

China’s main concern will be maintaining a veil of silence over the subject of Liu Xiaobo, in case citizens begin to question what Charter 08 is and what it stands for. The government’s scare tactic to make an example of him may not have the desired effect, especially now Xiaobo has joined the ranks of such legendary human rights campaigners as Nelson Mandela and the Dalai Lama. Chinese officials are also finding it increasingly difficult to uphold their false claim to freedom of speech, drawn out in Article 35 of the country’s 1982 constitution. It states, “Citizens of the People’s Republic of China enjoy freedom of speech, of the press, of assembly, of association, of procession and of demonstration.” As the Chinese elders pointed out, Hong Kong enjoyed greater freedom to debate and question policy under colonial Britain than China does today.

Evidently, the cracks in China’s outdated authoritarian ideology are starting to show. As it moves closer and closer to becoming the world’s greatest economic force, its dominant policy of suppression and intimidation is going to be exposed to such an extent that the international community will no longer be able to tolerate it. The Chinese intellectual circle of journalists, academics and publishers demand that “the system of censorship be dismantled in favour of a system of legal responsibility.” China’s reply has been to place greater restrictions on activists and lawyers who dare implement such a change.

Hopefully, Norway’s defiance in awarding Liu Xiaobo the Nobel Peace Prize will stand as a shining example to others determined not to be bullied into submission.