TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – An association of about 50 retired national policy advisers wanted to nominate ex-President Ma Ying-jeou and China’s President Xi Jinping for the Nobel Peace Prize, reports said Thursday.
Ma and Xi conducted an unprecedented meeting in Singapore on November 7, 2015. While this was the first meeting between heads of state from the two sides since they split in 1949, no agreements were signed, and several months later, Ma’s Kuomintang lost power in presidential and legislative elections.
The former national policy advisers, who served during Ma’s presidency, met at a hotel in Taipei City Thursday where they announced their intention. The ex-president also attended the event, reports said, though it was not immediately known what reaction he gave to the proposal. He reportedly smiled when it was mentioned, but did not comment directly during his speech.
KMT Chairwoman Hung Hsiu-chu, former Vice President Wu Den-yih and retired Presidential Secretary-General Tseng Yung-chuan were also present, reports said.
The organization of retired policy advisers said it would invite representatives of national universities to join a preparatory taskforce which would nominate Ma and Xi for the international honor.
A spokesman said that if Ma and Xi won, it would be more valuable than signing a peace treaty between Taiwan and China. Since making peace was a bilateral affair, the organization also defended its decision to name both Ma and the Chinese leader.
Taiwan’s only Nobel laureate so far is former Academia Sinica President Lee Yuan-tseh, who received the chemistry award in 1986.
The winner of this year’s Nobel Peace Prize is scheduled to be announced on October 7.