Oslo, Norway (CNN) -- Nobel Peace Prize winner Liu Xiaobo will be represented Friday at the ceremony bestowing the honor by an empty chair, the second time such a symbol has been used in the event, the chairman of the Nobel Peace Prize Committee said Thursday. Thorbjorn Jagland told reporters that the gesture is not a protest. "It is a signal to China that it would be very important for China's future to combine economic development with political reforms and it is support for those people in China who are struggling for basic human rights," Jagland said at a news conference.The last time an empty chair was used was for the 1935 prizeTwo countries that initially declined to attend now say they willThe Nobel Institute director says it's a signal to China for political reformChina created its own peace prize, which was awarded Thursday
Liu, a professor of literature, is serving an 11-year sentence in a _ prison for what the government called "inciting subversion of state power." "I believe this is one of the most influential _ that have been awarded through the years."