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China's Ministry of Natural Resources: Steadily advancing construction of about 300 energy and resource bases to boost strategic mineral self-sufficiency
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On September 22, China's Ministry of Natural Resources spokesperson and Vice Minister Zhou Xing announced in Beijing that the ministry is steadily advancing the construction of approximately 300 energy and resource bases, aiming to significantly increase the self-sufficiency rate of strategic mineral resources. Speaking at a State Council Information Office press conference on the '15th Five-Year Plan' period, Zhou stated that demand for key mineral resources will remain rigidly growing. The ministry will continue a new round of strategic mineral prospecting actions, including a national geological mapping plan to raise 1:50,000 regional geological survey coverage to 51% and coverage of important metallogenic belts to 66%. A major prospecting campaign will focus on scarce minerals like oil, iron, copper, and aluminum, while also addressing rare earths. The goal is to discover new large and medium-sized mineral deposits and oil and gas fields, and to revitalize previously difficult-to-utilize resources. Zhou also noted that this year, super-large deposits including the Maoniuping rare earth mine in Sichuan and the Chating copper-gold mine in Anhui have been successfully proven, marking major breakthroughs in exploration and reserve increases.
Source report
Beijing, September 22 — Zhou Xing, spokesperson and Vice Minister of China's Ministry of Natural Resources, announced on Sunday that the country is steadily advancing the construction of approximately 300 energy and resource bases, aiming to significantly boost the self-sufficiency rate of strategic mineral resources.
Speaking at a press conference held by the State Council Information Office under the theme "A Strong Start to the 15th Five-Year Plan," Zhou Xing outlined China's new round of strategic mineral prospecting initiatives.
Rising Demand for Mineral Resources
Zhou noted that during the 15th Five-Year Plan period (2026–2030), China's demand for key mineral resources will continue to grow steadily. The Ministry of Natural Resources will persist in implementing a new round of strategic mineral prospecting to secure the nation's energy supply and provide strong support for the development of advanced manufacturing.
Geological Survey and Resource Mapping
The Ministry will prioritize geological surveys by implementing a national geological mapping program. Key targets include:
- Increasing the coverage rate of 1:50,000-scale regional geological surveys on land to 51%
- Raising the coverage rate of mineral geological surveys in key metallogenic belts to 66%
- Conducting comprehensive assessments to clarify the country's resource and energy reserves
Exploration and Mining Expansion
To boost reserves and production capacity, China will organize large-scale prospecting campaigns focusing on:
- Scarce minerals such as oil, iron, copper, and aluminum
- Advantageous minerals including rare earths
A series of key exploration and mining projects will be deployed, aiming to discover new large and medium-sized mineral deposits and oil and gas fields. The goal is to find more, larger, and higher-grade deposits while steadily advancing the construction of approximately 300 energy and resource bases to significantly enhance the self-sufficiency rate of strategic mineral resources.
Technological Innovation and Resource Efficiency
Looking ahead, Zhou emphasized that the Ministry will strengthen technological innovation in prospecting theories, techniques, and equipment, pushing exploration deeper underground and into vast ocean areas for additional energy and mineral resources. Other measures include:
- Re-evaluating existing resources to revitalize co-associated, low-grade, and difficult-to-utilize mineral deposits
- Encouraging mining enterprises to improve mining recovery rates, mineral processing recovery rates, and comprehensive resource utilization
- Improving supporting systems for geological surveys, competitive transfer of mining rights, mining land use, and ecological restoration of mining areas
- Reducing burdens on geological exploration units and mining enterprises to stimulate prospecting enthusiasm
Major Discoveries in 2023
Zhou reported that since the beginning of this year, China has successfully identified several super-large mineral deposits, including the Maoniuping rare earth mine in Sichuan Province and the Chatting copper-gold mine in Anhui Province, marking significant breakthroughs in exploration and reserve increases.
Source
中国新闻网Eastern
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China Launches Major Mineral Exploration Campaign to Boost Strategic Resource Self-Sufficiency