Li Changchun congratulates Mo Yan on winning Nobel Prize

Chinese leader Li Changchun wrote the China Writers Association on Thursday to congratulate Mo Yan, vice president of the association, on his receipt of the 2012 Nobel Prize in Literature.

In his congratulatory letter, Li said Mo's victory reflects the prosperity and progress of Chinese literature, as well as the increasing influence of China, according to an official statement issued Friday.

Li, a Standing Committee member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, expressed hope that Chinese writers will focus on the country's people in their writing and create more excellent works.

Mo Yan won the 2012 Nobel Prize in Literature on Thursday. He is the first Chinese national to win the prize.