China has reported a sharp increase in its reserves of gold, nickel and other strategic minerals following a nationwide reassessment of mineral deposits, state news agency Xinhua reported on Saturday.
The assessment found that retained rhenium resources had increased by more than 200%, while additions to gold and nickel reserves were equivalent to 50 and 30 large deposits, respectively, based on data released by the Ministry of Natural Resources.
Resources of gallium, indium, tantalum and vanadium also increased, each by an amount equivalent to more than 10 large deposits, following a reassessment of associated, lower-grade and previously difficult-to-exploit resources.
According to Bloomberg, the year-long project covered 17 strategic minerals across more than 1,800 operating mines and large and medium-sized mining areas. It involved more than 100 institutions and nearly 2,000 survey personnel across 27 provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities.
Separately, China discovered its first paleofluvial-lacustrine zircon placer deposit in Baicheng, Xinjiang, which could significantly increase domestic zircon supply.
China has traditionally relied heavily on imported zircon, a source of zirconium used in nuclear reactor fuel-rod cladding and high-temperature aerospace alloys.
Rhenium is also a strategic metal used in high-temperature superalloys for jet-engine components.
The reassessment included deposits previously considered low-grade or difficult to exploit, meaning the reported increases reflect expanded resource estimates rather than necessarily new discoveries.