China unearths new critical mineral deposit, bolstering supply chain security

Advertisement

The discovery included a major stock of zircon, but analysts were unclear how much could be commercially developed to reduce imports

2-MIN READ2-MIN

Sherry Wangin Beijing

China has reported significant increases in its identified resources of rhenium, gold and nickel, alongside the discovery of a major zircon deposit, as it seeks to secure supplies of minerals vital to industries from aerospace to electric vehicle batteries.

The progress could be significant for China, which remains heavily reliant on imports for some of these minerals, leaving its supply chains exposed at a time when many countries are tightening their grip on their mineral resources amid the global energy transition and rising geopolitical tensions.

China’s identified resources of rhenium more than doubled following a year-long nationwide reassessment of associated, low-grade and difficult-to-extract mineral deposits, the state-run Xinhua News Agency reported over the weekend, citing data from the Ministry of Natural Resources.

Source: Read original story