BEIJING — China will build six new national research centers in a bid to transform the country into a leading power in science and technology, the Ministry of Science and Technology announced on Nov 27.

The six are Beijing national research center for molecular sciences, Wuhan national research center for optoelectronics, Beijing national research center for condensed matter physics, Beijing national research center for information science and technology, Shenyang national research center for material science, Hefei national research center for physical sciences at the microscale.

The centers will be based on the current pilot national laboratories and discipline clusters, said Ye Yujiang, head of the ministry basic research department.

The ministry will speed up the building of the six national research centers and initiate new centers at proper time, Ye said, adding the country will initially establish a national research center system by 2020.

China has set the targets of establishing itself as one of the most innovative countries by 2020 and a leading innovator by 2030 before becoming a world-leading S&T power by the centenary anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China in 2049.