China on Wednesday officially established a national soybean engineering research center in the northeastern province of Jilin in a move to promote its soybean technology.

The center, located in the Jilin Academy of Agricultural Sciences (JAAS) based in Changchun, capital of Jilin, began construction in March 2005 with an investment of 20 million yuan (US$2.66 million).

Yue Derong, president of JAAS, said the center will focus on hybrid soybean research and development.

The center has currently a staff of 82 people, including 51 researchers. It aims to breed more than 20 species of hybrid and high-productive soybean by 2009.

Experts say the center will contribute to raising the production of soybean in China and enhancing its competitiveness in world market.