Peace Prize dispute could cut short Norway's hopes of being the first European country to sign a free trade agreement with China.

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• China state media: Nobel part of 'ideological war'
• China to punish Norway over Nobel pick
• Nobel peace prize a slap in the face for China
• Liu's wife barred from meeting Norway officials

Norway felt the full force of China's anger on Tuesday over the awarding of the Nobel peace prize to a jailed dissident as Beijing scrapped a ministerial meeting and forced a touring musical off stage.

A meeting planned for Wednesday in Beijing between Fisheries Minister Lisbeth Berg-Hansen and Chinese food control authorities was cancelled at the last minute, the Norwegian government said.

"According to the explanation was have received, it is because our counterparts had other engagements," Ragnhild Imerslund of the Norwegian foreign ministry said.

A meeting the scheduled the same day between Berg-Hansen and China's vice-minister for fisheries had previously been cancelled, in what Norwegian officials said appeared to be a reaction to this year's Nobel Peace Prize choice.

Chinese authorities also cancelled performances scheduled for next month of a Norwegian musical starring Eurovision 2009 winner Alexander Rybak.

"According to what they've told us, it is a sanction in response to the awarding of the Peace Prize to a Chinese opposition figure," the musical's composer Thomas Stanghelle told TV2 news.

"I find it very unfortunate that they are cancelling a show about handicapped people's rights and possibilities," he added, saying he was "extremely sad."

The wife of jailed Chinese Nobel Peace laureate Liu Xiaobo said Wednesday she was prevented from meeting with Norwegian diplomats as authorities kept her under tight house arrest.

Chinese authorities had in advance cautioned the Norwegian Nobel Committee against handing the award to Liu Xiaobo, and after the prize was awarded last Friday, Beijing said the choice would "harm the Sino-Norwegian relationship."

The five members of the Norwegian Nobel Committee are appointed by parliament but are independent of the Norwegian government and the house.

Economic ties between China and Norway have greatly increased in recent years, and Oslo was hoping to clinch a free trade deal with the Asian superpower before the end of the year.

According to Norwegian figures, Norway's exports to China were multiplied 6.5 times between 2000 and 2009 to reach 15.2 billion kroner (2.0 billion euros, 2.6 billion dollars). Its imports from China increased fourfold over the same period, to 32.6 billion.

In 2009, China received 2.0 percent of all of Norway's exports and its products represented 7.8 of all of Norway's imports.

Observers have said the dispute following the Peace Prize could cut short Norway's hopes of being the first European country to sign a free trade agreement with China.

Liu, a 54-year-old former university professor, was jailed in December 2009 for 11 years for subversion, a conviction that sparked international outrage and drew attention to his campaign for democratic rights.

He was awarded the peace prize "for his long and non-violent struggle for fundamental human rights in China."

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