Global Times recently reported that former Cuban leader Fidel Castro won the Fifth Confucius Peace Prize, which was announced in Beijing on December 9. A Cuban student in China accepted the Prize on Castro’s behalf. The Prize winner was selected after a three-phase process. The South Korean President as well as the UN Secretary General were also among the finalists. According to one of the founders of the Prize, Castro was honored for his contribution to world peace – he did not settle the hostile relationship between Cuba and the United States by force and war. Castro also made significant contributions to lower the risk of a nuclear war. Out of 12 judges on the final voting panel, nine voted for Castro. Former UN Secretary General Kofi Atta Annan and Russian President Vladimir Putin have also been winners of this Confucius Peace Prize. [Editor’s note: None of the winners of the Prize actually accepted the Prize in person.]
Source: Global Times, December 12, 2014
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