One of China's most prominent writers Wang Meng echoes Tuesday Chinese President Hu Jintao's call on keeping to the track of reform and opening-up.

"China indeed cannot be sidetracked in its development," Wang, former culture minister, wrote on the People's Daily, a flagship news outlet of the Communist Party of China (CPC).

At a grand gathering on Dec. 18 that lauded the three-decade national drive of economic and social transformation, President Hu, also general secretary of the CPC Central Committee, said that China is surely able to achieve its grand development goals if the nation does not get sidetracked in reform and opening-up and if it adheres to the road of socialism with Chinese characteristics.

Wang, who is 74 years old, was minister of culture from June, 1986 to September, 1989. He has long been regarded as a frontier writer on the stream of consciousness in China. His well-known works include "A Young Man from the Organization Department" and "Long Live Youth".

Wang, also vice chairman of the Chinese Writers Association from 1984 to 2006, wrote that after many years of twists and turns, China is now finally in a period of rapid and stable development. "We should cherish the opportunities blessed by history."

Wang said that though some people say China has seen moral decadence among some people in recent years, it is indefensible to simply blame this on economic growth brought about by reform and opening up.

"It may be a period any nation or people has to go through when the economy grows so fast," wrote Wang, noting that he would rather interpret the existing problems into how to build effective supervision and core value systems.

Wang also defended people's critique of intellectuals, mainly professors, school teachers and literary writers.

"Though many intellectuals have shown unprecedented zeal for fame and wealth," he wrote, "the mainstream of them have widely participated in cultural affairs, trying to improve the inheritance and transmission of Chinese culture."

Wang said that Chinese people should "continue to work with solidarity to build a bright future for the nation."

(Xinhua News Agency December 23, 2008)