China warns Taiwan president over its remarks

China has warned Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen, saying her remarks about the death of a Nobel Peace laureate were "very dangerous" for cross-strait relations.

Beijing's reaction on Friday came a day after Tsai said the self-ruled island hoped China could promote political reform after Nobel Peace laureate Liu Xiaobo died of cancer.

Ma Xiaoguang, spokesman for China's Taiwan Affairs Office, accused Tsai of aggravating cross-strait tensions, saying her remarks were an example of "repeated arbitrary attacks".

Such "reckless" comments are "very dangerous" for cross-strait relations, the official Xinhua news agency quoted the spokesman as saying. 

Beijing also lodged official protests with the US, France, Germany and the UN human rights office over their "irresponsible remarks" regarding Liu Xiaobo.

The state-controlled Global Times newspaper said in an English-language editorial that "the West has bestowed upon Liu a halo, which will not linger".

The US and the EU paid tribute to Liu Xiaobo, while Germany voiced regret that Beijing ignored its offer to host him, with French President Emmanuel Macron describing him a "freedom fighter".

Britain accused China of preventing Liu from travelling overseas for treatment. The UN human rights commissioner, Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein, said Liu "was jailed for standing up for his beliefs".

China's Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said Liu's Nobel status was "a blasphemy of the peace prize". 

"Conferring the prize to such a person goes against the purposes of this award," he said.  

Liu lost his battle with liver cancer on Thursday at age 61, more than a month after he was transferred from prison to a hospital in the northeastern city of Shenyang.

SS