Putin awarded Chinese version of Nobel prize

A GROUP of Chinese academics has awarded its version of the Nobel Peace Prize to Vladimir Putin, pointing to the Russian Prime Minister as “outstanding in keeping world peace”.

Putin beat candidates such as German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Yuan Longping, a Chinese agricultural scientist, to take the Confucius Peace Prize, said Qiao Damo, one of the organisers.

The prize emerged last year, when it was suddenly announced by the group two days before jailed dissident Liu Xiaobo was awarded the Nobel to Beijing’s anger, sparking speculation it was set up with the government’s guidance.

Members of the jury denied links to the government, but executive chairman Liu Haofeng later said it had been set up by an association overseen by China’s culture ministry.

In September the ministry ordered organisers to scrap the award.

Qiao yesterday contested this decision, saying it was “unreasonable” to cancel the prize, adding he had registered a research centre that organises the award in Hong Kong to try and circumvent the problem.

Other members reportedly include professors from Beijing and Tsinghua universities. Nine of the 16 voted for Putin.

“This April or May, Putin was against NATO’s idea to bomb Libya and he appeared to the world in a peaceful manner,” Qiao explained. “This year’s peace prize was given to him because his act this year was outstanding in keeping world peace.”

Qiao said the awards ceremony would be held in Beijing on December 9 — a day before the Nobel Peace Prize event in Oslo.

“I feel the Noble Peace Prize has gone too far away from peace, and their standard has gone too far away from the essence of peace,” he said.