John Key too frightened of China to congratulate Nobel peace prize winner

Proof of Nobel needed first Key
Prime Minister John Key would not congratulate jailed Chinese dissident Liu Xiaobo on his Nobel Peace prize until he'd seen the "paperwork" but says the Opposition was timid under similar circumstances when in Government.

While unwilling to do so on Monday, saying he hadn't been briefed on the matter, Mr Key yesterday said of Mr Liu his Government "offers him our congratulations".

Oh. Come. On. How pathetic is this? John Key wanted to site the paper work awarding the Nobel Peace prize to Chinese dissident Liu Xiaobo before congratulating him? Why does John Key suck up to the Chinese as much as he does? Why refuse to congratulate a man who has been jailed for peaceful democratic reform in the largest totalitarian communist regime on the planet? Isn't Liu Xiaobo the sort of person we should be giving as much support to as possible rather than trying to find technicalities to avoid having to congratulate him? Seeing the paper work wasn't necessary for European or US leaders, but it was for John Key?

Why should our Prime Minister let himself be intimidated by China? Seriously Mr Key, grow a pair.