China plans to set up 100 state- level engineering laboratories in five years in an effort to push forward innovation of enterprises that used to import advanced technologies, a senior official announced Friday in Beijing.

The labs will cover biology, metallurgy and many other sectors, said Zhang Xiaoqiang, deputy director with the National Development and Reform Commission at a press conference held on the sidelines of the ongoing annual session of the Tenth National People's Congress in downtown Beijing.

Other efforts to improve Chinese enterprises' capacity of innovation include building 50 state engineering research centers, industrialization of seven key high-tech projects, and construction of 12 state scientific and technological infrastructure projects.

Zhang called on related government departments and institutions to work out measures to encourage technological innovation.

Source: Xinhua