INTRO ELEMENTS:The head of the Nobel committee has placed this year's peace prize on an empty chair. He has called on a furious Beijing to free the new laureate Liu Xiaobo from his Chinese prison cell. PKG:UPSOUNDSOT Thorbjoern JAGLAND, Chairman, Nobel Peace Prize Committee"We regret that the laureate is not present. He is in isolation in a prison in Northeast China.This fact alone shows that the award was necessary and appropriate. We congratulate Liu Xiaobo with this year's peace prize."No prize and no diploma were handed out this Friday in Oslo. Liu Xiaobo, represented instead by his empty chair, and his portrait. No family member made it to Oslo, actress Liv Ullman instead read out a statement from Liu's last public appearance.SOT Liv ULLMAN, Actress"China will in the end become a nation ruled by law where human rights reign supreme."This year's ceremony, the first time in 74 years the prestigious award was not handed over. Liu is serving an 11-year sentence in China on subversion charges.There was applause for Liu, despite his absence. The Nobel Commitee says the award isn't ``a prize against China.''SOT Thorbjoern JAGLAND, Chairman, Nobel Peace Prize Committee"The point of these awards has of course never been to offend anyone. Liu has only exercised his civil rights, he has not done anything wrong, he must be released."China has quickly reacted to the goings-on in Norway. calling the Nobel Committe's actions "political theatre."[[SUR-TITLE]][[TITLE]][[INTRO]][[AUTHOR]]