China's Confucius Peace Prize versus Nobel Piss Price

Zeng Yuhan accepted China's first peace prize today. There was not much fanfare and probably not as "prestigious" as the better known Nobel peace prize.  Nevertheless, it has certainly caused quite a stir and challenges the existing order. Should the western influenced Nobel committee continue to determine and impose its values and aspirations on less developed countries?  Apparently, China's economic power allows it to reject ideas that has passed through the western prism.

Quote :

" Zeng was chosen to accept the award on behalf of Lien Chan, the real winner and Taiwan's former vice president, because "children symbolize peace and future."

Members of the prize jury said Lien, who they deemed had made major contributions to bridging the gap between Taiwan and mainland China, could not attend the event for "reasons known to everyone" -- but apparently not to the recipient himself. "

http://edition.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/asiapcf/12/09/china.confucius.peace/?hpt=T1


The Nobel Peace Prize is not like before. It has even been called a "piss" price by some commentators. This may be attributed to the inclination to subscribe strictly to standards set by liberal democrats, yet tarnished by hypocrisy and inconsistency.

Mahatma Gandhi did not win an international peace prize though he was nominated five times. But we are aware of his opposition to British colonial rule over India.

Deng Xiaoping deserves to win a human peace award for opening up China to the world, business, capitalism and freed a billion Chinese people from poverty and hunger.

If Tiananmen was a blemish for Deng, why wasn't Guantánamo a hindrance to President Obama receiving the Nobel Peace Prize? 

 http://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/12/opinion/12iht-edmahbubani.html?_r=1&ref=liu_xiaobo

Stop arresting terrorist suspects and rioters in the name of freedom!  Must one only gain respect by following the rules and path dictated by those who have dominated and set the rules in the last two centuries? 

Unless there is mutual respect and level playing field, it looks like the Nobel Committee must review the conduct of affairs and decisions or else other contenders will give them a good run for its money.

The heroic Liu Xiaobo portrayed in the western media probably has more supporters outside mainland China than among the people he supposedly championed for.  Even a generous estimate of a million Chinese supporters represent barely 0.1 per cent of the total Chinese population.  The reality is probably much less. 

The People's Republic of China is made up of ethnically diverse communities and huge land mass with disparity in development.  China must bide time for an educated middle class to develop and evolve into a broad based democratic system that suits local context.  A free for all and complacent sort of democracy that has failed many developed countries would unravel all the economic gains and nation building efforts achieved  in the last 30 years.