China plans to revise its laws to promote the rational exploration and utilization of mineral resources.
Release date:
2024-01-03 14:31
Source:
China plans to amend its laws to promote the rational exploration and utilization of mineral resources.
BEIJING, Dec. 25 (Xinhua) — Mineral resources constitute an essential material foundation for economic and social development, and their exploration and exploitation are vital to national welfare, people’s livelihoods, and national security. The draft amendment to the Mineral Resources Law, submitted for the first time to the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress on the 25th, emphasizes strengthening the exploration and development of mineral resources, establishing reserve and emergency response mechanisms, promoting the rational utilization and development of these resources, safeguarding national mineral resource security, and advancing high-quality development in the mining sector.
Over the more than 30 years since its enactment, the current Mineral Resources Law has played a positive role in promoting the development of the mining sector and strengthening the exploration, development, utilization, and protection of mineral resources. With economic and social progress, numerous new circumstances and challenges have emerged in the field of mineral resources, and ensuring national mineral resource security has become an increasingly pressing issue, making it imperative to revise and improve the existing law.
The draft revision comprises eight chapters and seventy-six articles, introducing a relatively comprehensive overhaul of the current Mineral Resources Law. It includes measures to strengthen policy support, refine the mineral rights system, enhance the protection of strategic mineral resources, and improve the relevant land-use regime for mining activities, with particular emphasis on bolstering domestic exploration and development of mineral resources and increasing reserves and production.
The draft amendment underscores the goal of safeguarding national mineral resource security, striving to provide institutional safeguards for strengthening domestic exploration and development of critical mineral resources, increasing reserves and boosting production, enhancing the efficient and intensive use of resources, and improving emergency supply‑guarantee capabilities, thereby comprehensively consolidating the institutional foundation of national mineral resource security.
The draft amendment explicitly establishes a system for mineral resource reserves and emergency response, adding a new chapter on “Mineral Resource Reserves and Emergency Response.” It stipulates that the state shall build a strategic mineral resource reserve system integrating product reserves, production capacity reserves, and origin‑based reserves, and sets forth clear provisions regarding the organization and implementation of mineral product reserves, the assignment of responsibilities for production capacity reserves, the designation of sites for strategic mineral resource reserves, as well as the measures that may be adopted when an emergency situation involving mineral resources arises.
The draft amendment adds a chapter on “Ecological Restoration of Mining Areas,” clarifying the entities responsible for such restoration; encourages private capital to participate in ecological restoration efforts in mining areas; stipulates that ecological restoration must pass acceptance inspection; and requires mining right holders to set aside funds for ecological restoration in accordance with applicable regulations.
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