Chinese Nobel laureate Liu Xiaobo dies at 61: official

Shenyang. China's Nobel peace prize laureate Liu Xiaobo died on Thursday aged 61 after losing a battle with cancer, authorities said, more than a month after he was transferred to a hospital from prison.

The legal bureau in the northeastern city of Shenyang, where he had been hospitalised, confirmed his death in a statement.

Early in the day, China resisted fresh international pleas to let cancer-stricken Nobel seek treatment abroad after the latest hospital updates suggested the democracy champion was close to death.

The United States and Germany voiced concerns over the 61-year-old writer, who remained in custody at a heavily guarded hospital in northeastern China, where doctors say his breathing and organs were failing.

In response, Chinese ministry spokesman Geng Shuang reiterated the government's standard line: "We hope relevant countries can respect the judicial sovereignty of China and refrain from interfering in China's internal affairs under the pretext of an individual case." (AFP)