Han Han Photo: Xinhua

Chinese writer Han Han was nominated one of the 100 most influential people in the world, according to a list released by Time magazine April 3.

The weekly news magazine introduced Han as an author and a racecar driver and said he was nominated because his first novel Triple Gate, based on his experience as a highschool dropout in Shanghai became a bestseller in China. The novel sparked a debate about the quality of the country's rigid education system.

"An avid rally car driver, he writes a mega-popular blog that pokes fun at prominent cultural figures and incompetent officials," Time added.

After the list was published, a heated discussion sparked among Chinese Internet users on Han's nomination.

Some Internet users said Han Han is just influential in China and he is not qualified to be a world-famous celebrity. Others thought the nomination was outdated since the book was first published in May 2000.

Along with Han, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Actress Sandra Bullock, and singer Lady Gaga are also on the list.

Time 100 was first published in 1999 and is an annual list of the 100 most influential people in the world.