China has achieved significant breakthroughs in mineral exploration in the first half of 2025, with 38 new mineral deposits discovered and exploration investment in non-oil and gas minerals continuing to grow, the Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR) announced on Thursday, CCTV reported.
In the first six months, China discovered 38 mineral deposits, representing a year-on-year increase of 31 percent, with 25 of them being large and medium-sized mines.
For example, a total of 3.37 million tons of rubidium has been found in Xinglong County, North China’s Hebei Province. In addition, a total of 81 tons of gold was found in Tekes County in Northwest China’s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, according to the CCTV report.
By now, the authorities have achieved the goal of mineral exploration for the majority of minerals during the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-25) in advance, the report said.
Meanwhile, national investment in the exploration of non-oil and gas minerals continues to grow. Exploration investment in tin, bauxite, wolframite, copper, and phosphorus has increased by over 50 percent year-on-year, while the investment in the exploration of coal, lead-zinc, molybdenum, gold, and graphite minerals have also seen marked growth, according to the report.
Between January and June, China’s non-oil and gas mineral exploration investment reached 6.69 billion yuan ($932 million), up 23.9 percent year-on-year, maintaining a rapid growth momentum.
In terms of the structure of mineral exploration investment in the first half of the year, private funds reached 3.36 billion yuan, representing a year-on-year growth of 28.2 percent, accounting for 48 percent of the country’s total mineral exploration investment. This indicates that business enthusiasm for investing in mineral exploration is continuously increasing, said Niu Li, an official with the MNR.
Looking ahead, with the implementation of the revised Mineral Resources Law, the authorities will strengthen basic geological work, intensify efforts to advance a new round of mineral explorations, and further enhance the country’s energy and resource security, the official said.
