Laying the Foundation for Resource Security and Supporting Green Development — The 2021 China Prospectors’ Annual Conference Held in Xi’an

　　From July 15 to 16, the 2021 China Prospectors’ Annual Conference was held in Xi’an, hosted by the China Mining Association and co-organized by Shaanxi Geological and Mineral Group Co., Ltd. and the Geological and Mineral Exploration Branch of the China Mining Association. With the theme “Laying the Foundation for Resource Security and Supporting Green Development,” the conference aimed to meet the new demands placed on geological work in the current era, bolster energy and resource security, advance ecological civilization, and accelerate the transformation, upgrading, and high-quality development of the geological exploration sector. The program featured an opening ceremony, a plenary forum, two specialized forums, a symposium, and technical training sessions. The opening ceremony was chaired by Peng Qiming, President of the China Mining Association.

　　Wang Shaobo, Deputy Director-General of the Department of Geological Exploration Management of the Ministry of Natural Resources; Luo Qingjun, Deputy Chief Economist of the China Geological Survey; Lei Mingxiong, Deputy Director-General of the Shaanxi Provincial Department of Natural Resources; and Liu Jianqin, Chairman of Shaanxi Geology and Mineral Group Co., Ltd., attended the opening ceremony and delivered remarks.

　　Wang Shaobo stated that, in order to effectively fulfill the responsibilities for managing the geological exploration sector entrusted to the Ministry of Natural Resources by the CPC Central Committee and to implement the State Council’s “delegation, regulation, and service” reform requirements, the Department of Geological Exploration Management of the Ministry has carefully studied and explored concrete measures to strengthen industry oversight. As a result, three sets of specific institutional documents have been formulated—covering high-quality industry development, enhanced supervision of geological exploration activities, and reinforced workplace safety management in the sector—and have recently been issued and put into effect. Together, these three documents constitute the fundamental institutional framework for advancing the development of the geological exploration sector and standardizing its management in the current period and for the foreseeable future. Moving forward, to sustainably and steadily intensify domestic mineral exploration efforts and bolster the capacity to ensure the security of strategic mineral resources, the Ministry of Natural Resources is collaborating with the National Development and Reform Commission, the Ministry of Science and Technology, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, and the Ministry of Finance to jointly launch the “Strategic Mineral Prospecting Initiative (2021–2035).” Building on the experience gained from the previous round of strategic prospecting breakthroughs, this initiative will accurately align with the new stage of development, thoroughly implement the new development philosophy, and accelerate the establishment of a new development paradigm. By deepening reforms in mineral resource management and fully leveraging the market’s decisive role in resource allocation, it aims to establish an operational mechanism for geological prospecting in the new era.

　　Luo Qingjun stated that, grounded in the new era and focused on emerging needs, we must forge a powerful synergy to advance high-quality geological work. In the face of profound changes in both domestic and international contexts, the China Geological Survey has been deepening fundamental transformations in three key areas—service orientation, guiding theory, and development drivers—while vigorously strengthening the exploration and evaluation of clean energy and strategic mineral resources. This effort supports national energy and resource security as well as the low‑carbon energy transition, and seeks to address major resource, environmental, ecological, and disaster‑related challenges, along with critical issues in Earth system science, that constrain high‑quality economic and social development. By continuously promoting the transformation and upgrading of geological surveying, the Agency is providing robust support for the comprehensive building of a modern socialist country. In accordance with the Ministry of Natural Resources’ directives, the China Geological Survey is currently assisting in the formulation of a new round of the “Strategic Action Plan for Mineral Exploration Breakthroughs.” It is also strengthening coordination and collaboration between central and local authorities to jointly build a strong momentum for high‑quality development in the geological sector. Under the unified deployment of the Ministry of Natural Resources, the China Geological Survey will actively promote the establishment of a new model of guidance and cooperation between the central public‑interest geological corps and provincial geological survey institutes, environmental monitoring centers, and other local geological entities. This will involve creating comprehensive mechanisms for coordinated planning, technical guidance, project collaboration, scientific and technological innovation, information sharing, and talent exchange, thereby fostering positive interactions and mutually beneficial development between central and local geological teams and effectively supporting natural resource management and ecological civilization construction.

　　As a province that hosts key national energy and chemical‑industry hubs as well as an equipment‑manufacturing base, Lei Mingxiong outlined how Shaanxi Province’s mineral and geological exploration efforts are actively supporting high‑quality economic development from three perspectives. First, the province has steadily intensified its mineral‑prospecting efforts. Since 2011, Shaanxi has allocated a cumulative RMB 8.67 billion to exploration, implementing 1,539 geological survey projects in comprehensive exploration zones such as the Xiaoqinling gold mining area and the Fengxian–Taibai region, as well as in priority exploration areas, yielding substantial results. Second, the province has comprehensively promoted green exploration. A series of policy documents have been issued, mandating “scientific project planning, optimized exploration design, compliance with laws and regulations, standardized construction practices, and green‑standard‑compliant acceptance,” thereby ensuring end‑to‑end management and the standardization of green exploration. Third, reforms of geological‑survey institutions have continued to deepen. Since the corporatization of Shaanxi’s geological‑survey entities, these organizations have remained firmly focused on their core business, continuously refining and expanding their industrial portfolios, strengthening their core competitiveness, and achieving steady growth in both assets and revenues.

　　Liu Jianqin, Party Secretary and Chairman of the Shaanxi Geological Mining Group, stated that as the province’s largest comprehensive geological exploration team, the Group has identified and reported 294 large and medium-sized mineral deposits across Shaanxi. It has also discovered and explored such renowned resources as the Jinduicheng molybdenum mine, the Xiaoqinling gold mine, the Taibai gold mine, the Xunyang mercury–antimony deposit, and the majority of coal resources in northern Shaanxi, thereby providing crucial resource support for the province’s economic and social development. In pursuit of transformation and upgrading, the Group has accelerated its efforts to catch up and surpass others, achieving rapid economic growth. In 2020, it recorded revenues of RMB 8 billion and a profit of RMB 148 million—more than tenfold increases compared with its pre-reform levels—while employee incomes have risen substantially. Entering the new phase of development under the 14th Five-Year Plan, the Shaanxi Geological Mining Group is striving to realize its ambitious goal of becoming a nationally first-class geological exploration enterprise.

　　Academicians Chen Yucuan and Wang Shuangming of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, along with Chen Jinghe, Chairman of Zijin Mining Group Co., Ltd., and Jing Ping, Deputy General Manager of Shaanxi Geological and Mineral Resources Group Co., Ltd., delivered keynote speeches titled “Staying True to Our Original Aspiration: The Mission of Prospectors in the New Era of Mining Development,” “The Dominant Role of Coal Energy and Green Development,” “Building China’s Geological Exploration Industry’s Global Competitiveness,” and “Expanding Services to Accelerate Transformation and Upgrading and Fully Integrate into Economic and Social Development,” respectively.

　　Peng Qiming, President of the China Mining Association; Feng Rui, Chairman of Silvercorp Metals Inc. of Canada; Wang Zongqi, Chief Scientist at the Mineral Exploration Technology Guidance Center of the Ministry of Natural Resources; and Che Changbo, Secretary-General of the China Mining Association, each delivered a special report on the outlook for the mineral exploration industry, titled “Trends in the Development of the Mineral Exploration Sector,” “China’s International Competitiveness in Mineral Exploration and Risk Management in Overseas Projects,” “A Review and Outlook on the Strategic Action for Breakthroughs in Mineral Exploration,” and “Institutional Innovation in Oil and Gas Exploration and Development and Opportunities for Geological Survey Institutions,” respectively.

　　Jiang Zhongcheng, Deputy Director of the Karst Geology Research Institute of the China Geological Survey; Wang Yanlin, Secretary of the Party Committee of the Zhejiang Provincial Hydrogeological and Engineering Geological Brigade; Li Zhizhong, Director of the Xi’an Geological Survey Center of the China Geological Survey; Ren Hui, Deputy Director of the China National Bureau of Coal Geology; and Ma Sijin, Deputy Chief Engineer of Shaanxi Geological Mining Group Co., Ltd., each delivered thematic reports on ecological and environmental protection and the development of the geological survey sector, titled “China’s Ecological Restoration Needs and Practical Experience in Karst Areas,” “Accelerating Momentum Transformation and Focusing on Iterative Upgrading—Contributing Geological Survey Capabilities to Building a Key Window and a Demonstration Zone for Common Prosperity,” “Remote Sensing Technology and Green Development,” “Research on the Development of Emergency Rescue Industries in Mines and Underground Spaces by Geological Survey Institutions,” and “The Role of Geological Work in Mine Environmental Surveys,” respectively.

　　Leading officials from relevant departments and bureaus of the Ministry of Natural Resources, along with representatives from affiliated public institutions and geological exploration units, attended the symposium on the reform and development directions of geological exploration entities and engaged in on-site discussions.

　　During the technical training session, Xue Aimin, Chairman of Beijing Paterson Technology Co., Ltd., and Professor Li Da of Wuhan University of Technology delivered presentations titled “Imaging Subsurface Media Using Resonance Effects of Surface Vibration Noise—Fundamental Theory and Practice” and “Development of Frequency-Resonance Acquisition Equipment and Imaging Systems, along with an Introduction to the Cloud Platform,” respectively.

　　Approximately 300 participants, including representatives from more than 150 natural resources authorities, geological exploration enterprises and institutions and their subordinate units, mining companies, research institutes and universities, and media outlets, attended the conference, hailing from 24 provinces, autonomous regions, and municipalities directly under the central government.