China hails mineral finds amid push for security of supply chain, energy and nation – Technologist

China has reported “prominent results” in its hunt for green-energy minerals, with the Ministry of Natural Resources saying new deposits of the resources deemed crucial for national security had been discovered.

“In the first three-quarters of this year, we made new significant discoveries of a batch of large-scale mines with verified deposits,” the ministry said. “It has significant meaning for our supply chain security, energy security and national security.”

The finds are part of a “mineral hunting” initiative launched in 2021 that aims for breakthroughs within 15 years in the search for crucial minerals that will determine the future of manufacturing, emerging technologies and the defence industry, as well as the geopolitical landscape.

China is not a world leader in reserves of most minerals but it does have the biggest shares of natural graphite and rare earths.

According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), China has 28 per cent of the world’s reserves of natural graphite, a major anode material in lithium-ion batteries.

It also has 38 per cent of the globe’s rare earth reserves, which are widely used for electronic generators in wind turbines, lasers and precision-guided missile systems.