China calls Nobel contender an undeserving criminal

BEIJING (Reuters) - A Chinese government spokesmen said jailed dissident Hu Jia was a criminal undeserving of a Nobel Peace Prize, amplifying Beijing's unhappiness at the possibility Hu could win the honour this year. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Qin Gang said countless other compatriots deserved consideration for the prize, but not Hu Jia, a political activist and Buddhist who has campaigned for AIDS patients, political democracy, Tibetan self-determination and a clutch of other touchy subjects. A Beijing court sentenced Hu to over three years' jail in April. Hu, in his mid-30s, had already spent many months under house arrest with his wife and child. Hu's... [read full story]