Chinese scientists have been urged to produce popular science books as good as "100,000 Questions" which has been chosen as one of the 50 most influential books in China since 1949.

"100,000 Questions", a small encyclopedia on basic scientific knowledge, was published in the 1960s.

Scientists should try to improve the scientific and cultural quality of the Chinese nation, and help promote the strategy of " invigorating the country through science and education" by writing on popular science, agreed participants of a national meeting of the China Association of Popular Science Writers which was held in Beijing on December 8.

The association is going to hold symposiums on popular science writing each year, and open training classes and establish prizes for popular science writing to encourage people, especially scientists, to take active roles in this form of writing.

The association was founded in the late 1970s by the older generation of Chinese scientists, educators and popular science writers such as Mao Yisheng, Hua Luogeng and Gao Shiqi.

China now has a total of 20,000 popular science writers. (Xinhua)