Liu is serving an 11-year prison sentence in China for subverting state power.
China has been pressing for a global boycott of Friday's ceremony in Oslo, Norway. Thusfar, at least 18 countries have turned down invitations. About 45 countries have agreed to attend the ceremony.
The United States said Thursday the U.S. Ambassador to Norway, Barry White, will attend. The White House also reiterated a demand that China release Liu.
The top United Nations human rights official, Navi Pillay, and prominent human rights groups are also calling for Liu's release.
But China said Thursday it will not acquiesce to international pressure to free him.
Liu Xiabao participated in the 1989 Tiananmen Square protest in Beijing and is one of China's most prominent activists fighting for greater political freedom and human rights.
Late Thursday, Serbia reversed its decision not to send a representative to attend the ceremony. Prime Minister Mirko Cvetkovic told Serbian media that his country will send an envoy, Sasa Jankovic, to Oslo.
The European Union had criticized Serbia for its plans to boycott the ceremony, saying it did not expect such a decision from a country that aspires to join the bloc. China is one of Serbia's biggest trade partners.
Also Thursday, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Jiang Yu criticized U.S. lawmakers for urging China to release Liu, calling them "arrogant and rude." She said the resolution passed Wednesday by the U.S. House of Representatives congratulating Liu on winning the Nobel prize distorts the truth and is a "flagrant interference in China's internal affairs."
In Geneva, Navi Pillay accused Beijing Thursday of cracking down on an "ever-widening circle of associates" of Liu, including his wife, Liu Xia. Pillay said authorities have detained at least 20 activists and have subjected more than 120 people to house arrest or travel restrictions.
In Oslo, Nobel Committee chairman Thorbjoern Jagland said Thursday awarding the peace prize to Liu is not a protest against
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