(CNS)

Chen Yingzhen, a distinguished writer from Taiwan, has been named honorary vice chairman of the Chinese Writers' Association (CWA).

Chen joined CWA in June, along with two other Taiwan writers, Zhu Xiujuan and Mo Naneng. They are the first Taiwanese to be admitted as members of the mainland-based association since 1949.

Chen, 73, is considered one of Taiwan's greatest authors. He started publishing short stories in 1959 and has published more than 10 collections of short stories. The 15-volume Collected Works of Chen Yingzhen hit bookstores in 1988.

In the early years of his literary career Chen mainly depicted the fate of intellectuals. Since the late 1970s, he has focused on the economic and cultural impact of multinationals on developing countries.