Children of China's political elite, or princelings, have been quietly lobbying the Communist Party leadership for the release of Liu Xiaobo, the jailed Nobel laureate on parole, to improve the country's international image.

According to two anonymous sources, Liu's release is not a high priority on the party's agenda, but said the push for the Nobel laureate's release shows there is a debate taking place among leaders about the damage to China's reputation Liu's jailing.

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Liu, 58, is a veteran dissident who participated in the 1989 Tainanmen Square pro-democracy protests. Liu and many others were detained when the Chinese army crushed the demonstrations.

Liu was sentenced to 11 years imprisonment in 2009 on charges of subversion for organizing a petition to end China's one-party rule. The following year, Liu was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.

One of the anonymous sources told Reuters that for many princelings, releasing Liu from prison presents more advantages to the country than disadvantages. The source said that the Nobel laureate will be freed soon although the date of his release was not specified.

Under Chinese law, Liu is eligible for parole after having served half of his jail term.

The source declined to say how big the group of princelings was. However, both sources described the group as comprised of second- or third-generation children of elite party members born from 1960s or 1970s and allegedly close to President Xi Jinping.

Critics of China's ruling party say that its leaders feel insecure about Western efforts to undermine the current one-party rule by pushing for more democratic reforms.

However, President Xi has shown no interest in loosening up the political system. Last month in Belgium, he said China experimented with the multi-party democratic model, but it didn't work.

China has gained a reputation for violations of human rights, an issue that remains one of the biggest criticisms against its government.

TagsOne-Party Rule, Nobel Peace Prize, Nobel Laureate, Liu Xiaobo, Dissident