China has held back from congratulating former US President Jimmy Carter for winning the Nobel Peace Prize, saying only that the prize should be awarded to someone who truly works for peace.
”We have noticed the Nobel Peace Prize has been awarded to Mr Carter and the Nobel committee’s praise for him,” foreign ministry representative Zhang Qiyue said. The foreign ministry was responding to reporters’ request for
China’s comment on the decision announced by the Nobel committee on Friday.
It was also asked to comment on the fact that the committee did not select Chinese dissident Wei Jingsheng and the mothers of the victims of the Tiananmen Square massacre, who were among the 157 nominees for the prize.
”We believe only by awarding the peace prize to individuals or groups that truly make positive contributions to mankind and the cause for peace will the peace prize’s aim be realised and be favorable to promoting peace,” Zhang said.
Carter (78) on Friday won the 2002 Nobel Peace Prize for years of tireless efforts as an international mediator, an honour the Nobel committee chairman said also contained a direct criticism of the current US administration’s policy on Iraq.
Carter has criticised China’s human rights record. Wu Guoguang, a political scientist at Hong Kong’s Chinese University, said: ”China’s position on this matter is rather complicated. Since Carter’s focus has been on human rights, China doesn’t want to make too many comments about him winning the prize.”
Beijing is also reluctant to make a clear statement because the award implied criticism of US President George Bush’s push for military action against Iraq, Wu said.
China does not favor attacking Iraq, but it wants to avoid criticising Bush ahead of a visit by President Jiang Zemin to the United States later this month, Wu said. – Sapa-AFP