BEIJING, Dec. 18 (Xinhua) -- China will strengthen its national strategic technologies with efforts including giving full play to the state's role in organizing major science and technology innovations, according to a tone-setting economic meeting which outlined development priorities for 2021.

The country will step up efforts to resolve major difficulties that constrain national development and security, according to the annual Central Economic Work Conference held in Beijing from Wednesday to Friday.

The meeting stressed giving full play to the institutional advantages of a new-type of system that pools national resources as well as the role of key academies, institutions and colleges which act as national teams. It also called for more efforts to optimize the allocation of scientific research strength and the sharing of resources.

The meeting urged efforts to step up the formulation and implementation a 10-year action plan to boost basic research, and concentrated efforts in the layout of a number of basic discipline research centers.

It also pledged support for eligible local areas in building international and regional science and technology innovation centers.

The meeting stressed giving full play to the principal role of enterprises in science and technology innovation, and pledged support for leading firms in establishing innovation consortiums to drive innovation activities of small and medium-sized firms.