In global race for critical minerals, China identifies dozens of new reserves

China identified 38 new sites of mineral reserves in the first half of this year, discoveries that are expected to help the country meet its resource security goals.

The Ministry of Natural Resources said on Thursday that the number of new mineral sites increased 31 per cent year on year during the period, and included the discovery of reserves with an estimated 3.37 million tonnes of rubidium and 81 tonnes of gold.

Rubidium is used in biomedicine, telecommunication systems, pyrotechnics and specialty glass, and gold is used, among other things, in the development of electronics and aerospace components.

In the first six months, China’s investment in mineral exploration rose more than half from a year earlier including in tin, bauxite, tungsten, copper and phosphate – all of which are critical elements in the aerospace, semiconductor and green energy industries.

Investment in non-hydrocarbon mineral exploration grew rapidly – up 23.9 per cent year on year to 6.69 billion yuan (US$932 million).

“[We] will improve basic geological work and advance strategic prospecting to further strengthen … national energy and mineral resource security,” said Niu Li, deputy director of the ministry’s geological exploration department.

  

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