Washington mourns death of Nobel-winning Chinese dissident

The White House and members of Washington’s political class paid their respects Thursday to the Nobel-winning Chinese political prisoner and human rights activist Dr. Liu Xiaobo after he died Thursday from liver cancer.

The White House said in a statement late in the day that President Trump was “deeply saddened” to hear about Liu’s passing.

“The president’s heartfelt condolences go out to Liu Xiaobo’s wife, Liu Xia, and his family and friends. A poet, scholar, and courageous advocate, Liu Xiaobo dedicated his life to the pursuit of democracy and liberty,” White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer said. 

“Today, I join those in China and around the world in mourning the tragic passing of 2010 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Liu Xiaobo, who died while serving a lengthy prison sentence in China for promoting peaceful democratic reform. Mr. Liu dedicated his life to the betterment of his country and humankind, and to the pursuit of justice and liberty,” Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said in a statement.

Members of Congress also offered words remembering the prominent Chinese dissident.

“Today the world lost a hero of liberty and freedom. Liu Xiaobo, a voice for the voiceless and defender of the oppressed in Communist China, passed away. Although the physical cause of his death was cancer, Dr. Liu’s primary battle was one of the soul,” Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) said in a statement.

Saddened to hear of the passing of Dr. Liu Xiaobo–a Nobel Peace Prize winner and a fighter for democracy.https://t.co/XCUt1NCQr5

— Mark Meadows (@RepMarkMeadows) July 13, 2017

Cruz and Rep. Mark Meadows (R-N.C.) pushed for legislation in 2016 to rename the plaza in front of the Chinese Embassy in Washington, D.C., after Liu.

In a statement sent out on Twitter Thursday, Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) said Liu was “persecuted and thrown into solitary confinement because he spoke out for a better world.”

Liu Xiaobo deserved to be celebrated as a leader who sought peaceful reform in China. Instead, he died today, under guard in a hospital. pic.twitter.com/riq7fpuMDc

— Sen Dianne Feinstein (@SenFeinstein) July 13, 2017

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Liu was serving an 11-year prison sentence for “inciting subversion” and had been moved to a hospital to receive treatment for his cancer.

Deputy White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders spoke out against Chinese treatment of Liu on Wednesday, saying the administration “remains concerned Mr. Liu and his family are unable to communicate with the outside world and that he is not free to seek the medical treatment of his choosing.”

“We continue to call on the Chinese authorities to grant him full parole and to release his wife from house arrest and provide them the protections and freedoms, such as freedom of movement and access to appropriate medical care consistent with Chinese constitution, legal system, and international commitments,” she said.

The activist was famous for playing a major role during China’s Tiananmen Square protests in 1989.

Liu was placed in detention after he and other activists negotiated the exit of several hundred protesters.

The activist continued to campaign for human and democratic rights in China and garnered global recognition, winning the Nobel Peace Prize in 2010 “for his long and non-violent struggle for fundamental human rights in China.”

– This post was updated at 6:04 p.m.