China has shut down 12 key national labs, accounting for 7 percent of the total, Cheng Jipei, vice-minister of Science and Technology said Thursday.

"According to the rule of survival of the fittest, key national labs with low efficiency, bad management, few research achievements and heavy brain drain will be closed, " Cheng Jinpei said, "while common labs with strong research ability and qualified research fellows can be promoted to key labs of national level."

The competitive mechanism helps the key national labs to maintain their high research standards, Cheng said.

In 1984, China started to establish key national labs aiming to enhance its basic research level. By the end of 2003, 161 labs and six pilot labs have covered almost all the key disciplines of basic research.

Together they contained more than 5,000 full-time research fellows, equipment worth three billion yuan (US$362 million) and annual research funds of two billion yuan(US$241 million US), according to the ministry.

Qualified key national labs have become the research base for China's scientific research, training talented scientists and hosting international academic exchanges, he said.

(Xinhua News Agency December 24, 2004)