China and 18 other countries have declined to attend this year’s Nobel Peace Prize ceremony honoring imprisoned Chinese dissident Liu Xiaobo, Nobel officials said on Tuesday as China unleashed a new barrage deriding the decision. According to The Boston Herald, Beijing considers Liu’s recognition an attack on China’s political and legal system, and says the country’s policies will not be swayed by outside forces.† 44 out of the 65 invited embassies have accepted the invitation.