A statue of Liu Xiaobo, the Chinese Nobel Peace Prize winner, was unveiled and dedicated in Taipei Friday on the occasion of the first anniversary of his death.

Funded by subscription with support from Reporters Without Borders (RSF), the statue was installed in a public space near the famous Taipei 101 Tower, an area that attracts many Chinese tourists, according to the RSF website.

(Wuer Kaixi, one of the leaders of the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests)

Describing Liu as a "tireless defender of press freedom," Cedric Alviani, the head of RSF's East Asia bureau, said that his organization is proud to take part in the setting of the statue in memory of Liu.

"Liu Xiaobo was a tireless defender of freedom of speech, freedom of press and freedom of information, who embodied resistance to oppression in China," Alviani said.

Alviani said that while China remains a repressive country, there is always hope as seen in the transformation of Taiwan from a one-party state into a vibrant democracy.

"It is, we believe, our shared responsibility to safeguard, perpetuate and promote the intellectual heritage of Liu Xiaobo," he said.

Ranked 176th on 180 in the latest RSF World Press Freedom Index, China continues to be one of the world's biggest jailers of journalists and civil rights activists.

RSF awarded Liu its Press Freedom Prize in 2004. To express his appreciation, Liu wrote to RSF saying that "The time is not far when the border of censorship can be crossed and when freedom of expression becomes a public requirement of the people."

However, it did not happen. Liu was sentenced to 11 years in prison in 2009 for his involvement in drafting "Charter 08," a manifesto calling for an end to one-party rule in China and for peaceful democratic reform.

In 2010, Liu was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, which he dedicated in his prison cell to the "wandering souls of June 4," referring to the victims of the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre.