On March 14, the Ministry of Natural Resources held a meeting on mineral resource management and the promotion of the new round of strategic actions aimed at breakthroughs in mineral exploration. The meeting summarized and reviewed the work carried out in 2023, analyzed the current challenges facing mineral resource management and geological exploration efforts, and outlined key priorities for 2024. Wang Guanghua, Secretary of the Ministry's Party Leadership Group and Minister, attended the meeting and delivered a speech. Xu Dachun, Member of the Ministry's Party Leadership Group and Vice Minister, chaired the session, while Li Jinfa, also a Member of the Party Leadership Group and Director of the China Geological Survey, was present at the event.

On March 14, the Ministry of Natural Resources held a meeting on mineral resource management and the promotion of the new round of strategic actions aimed at breakthroughs in mineral exploration. The meeting summarized and reviewed the work carried out in 2023, analyzed the current challenges facing mineral resource management and geological exploration, and outlined key priorities for 2024. Wang Guanghua, Secretary of the Ministry's Party Leadership Group and Minister, attended the meeting and delivered a speech. Xu Dachun, member of the Ministry's Party Leadership Group and Vice Minister, chaired the session, while Li Jinfa, also a member of the Party Leadership Group and Director of the China Geological Survey, was present.

Wang Guanghua emphasized that improving the mineral resource management system and launching a new round of strategic initiatives aimed at breakthroughs in mineral exploration are concrete actions to thoroughly implement General Secretary Xi Jinping’s important instructions and directives on ensuring national energy and resource security, as well as the spirit of the 20th National Party Congress. These efforts also represent a critical strategic task for embracing the new development philosophy, fostering a new development paradigm, and driving high-quality growth. It is essential to accurately assess the current situation and integrate mineral resource management and geological exploration into the broader framework of the nation’s overall development strategy. Mineral exploration directly impacts the country’s energy and resource security, making it imperative to treat this work with the utmost importance and commit full resources to its success. In 2024, we must follow the guidelines set forth by the Central Economic Work Conference and the Two Sessions, continuing to refine our mineral resource management systems while vigorously advancing the new round of strategic mineral exploration initiatives. Our goal is to identify large, high-quality, and urgently needed mineral deposits through every possible means—paving the way for cultivating new drivers of productivity and empowering sustainable development, thereby providing robust energy and resource support for advancing Chinese-style modernization. First, we must deepen reforms in mineral resource management, establishing long-term mechanisms that foster a thriving mining market. Second, we will continue to intensify the new round of strategic mineral exploration efforts, striving to fully achieve the targets and tasks outlined in the 14th Five-Year Plan. Third, we will comprehensively promote green exploration practices and the construction of eco-friendly mines, leveraging high-level environmental protection to underpin high-quality development. Fourth, we will significantly strengthen innovation in science and technology, alongside talent cultivation, to nurture new sources of productivity within the mining sector. Finally, we will proactively assume responsibility, enhance coordination across departments, and ensure the effective implementation of all key priorities.

Officials from China Geological Survey, China Minmetals Corporation, the China Mining Association, as well as representatives from natural resources departments in provinces and regions such as Henan, Guangxi, and Xinjiang, delivered speeches.

The meeting was held via video conference. Attendees included Chinese Academy of Sciences Academicians Hou Zengqian and Deng Jun, Chinese Academy of Engineering Academician Mao Jingwen, representatives from relevant departments and bureaus of the National Development and Reform Commission, the Ministry of Science and Technology, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, and the Ministry of Finance, as well as officials from provincial-level natural resource authorities, leading representatives from major oil and mining companies, the China Mining Association, and geological survey institutions. Also in attendance were representatives from the National Forestry and Grassland Administration, the China Geological Survey, the Discipline Inspection and Supervision Group of the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection and the National Supervisory Commission stationed at the Ministry of Natural Resources, along with officials from various relevant departments within the ministry.