Ma Zhaoxu, a spokesman for China's foreign ministry, said the award is supposed to be given to those who "promote national harmony, international friendship" and work toward peace.

Liu is serving an 11-year prison term after being sentenced in 2009 for inciting subversion of state power. He is the co-author of Charter 08, a call for political reform and human rights, and was an adviser to the student protesters at Tiananmen Square in 1989.

"Liu Xiaobo is a convicted criminal sentenced to jail by Chinese justice. His acts are in complete contradiction to the purpose of the Nobel Peace Prize," Ma said.

The selection of Liu was made by the Norwegian Nobel Committee, whose president said the dissident won for his "long and nonviolent struggle for fundamental human rights in China."

However, Ma said that while China and Norway have recently had "good relations," the committee's decision would harm future dealings between the two countries.

The Nobel Committee stood by its choice and said it had expected China to react strongly.

"We have a very strong tradition of awarding the prize to human rights activists of many different kinds," Geir Lundestad, director of the Nobel Institute said.