China holds the world's largest reserves of 14 mineral resources, including rare earths, tungsten, tin, molybdenum, antimony, gallium, germanium, indium, fluorite and graphite, its latest mineral resource data showed.
Since the launch of a new round of strategic action for breakthroughs in mineral exploration in 2021, China has witnessed substantial growth in its mineral resource reserves, officials with the ministry told a press conference held in Beijing on Wednesday.
A total of 398 new large and medium-sized strategic mineral deposits -- including oil and gas fields -- have been discovered. Historic breakthroughs have been achieved in the exploration of bulk minerals such as copper, gold, and potash, while leapfrog progress has been made in the exploration of strategic emerging minerals including lithium, helium, and high-purity quartz. These achievements have significantly strengthened China's capacity for independent resource security.
"The substantial increase in resource reserves directly stems from the systematic exploration and reserve enhancement efforts targeting critical scarce minerals and strategically advantageous minerals under the strategic action for breakthroughs in mineral exploration, laying a solid foundation for achieving independent and controllable resource security," said Xiong Zili, director of the Geological Exploration and Management Department, Ministry of Natural Resources.
China's mining industry output reached approximately 32.7 trillion yuan (about 4.77 trillion U.S. dollars) in 2025, accounting for more than 23 percent of the country's GDP, underscoring its position as the world's largest in mineral production, smelting and processing.
In 2025, the country also ranked first globally in the production of 17 mineral resources, including coal, vanadium, titanium, zinc, rare earths, tungsten, tin, molybdenum, antimony, gallium, indium, gold, and tellurium.
China reports 14 mineral reserves as world's largest
