BEIJING, Sept. 19 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese leader on Wednesday urged the country's minority writers to "write for the people and the times" and help increase the influence of China's culture.

Li Changchun, a Standing Committee member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, made the appeal in a congratulatory letter presented at an award ceremony for a national literary prize for ethnic minority literature.

Minority writers should paint a truthful picture of the history and current lives of ethnic minorities and produce great works that can stand the test of history, the letter said.

Twenty-five literary works and four translators were awarded at the Wednesday evening ceremony.