A light rare earth deposit has been identified in southwest China's Sichuan Province. It is the second-largest of its kind globally and a major discovery in the country's new round of mineral exploration, according to the Ministry of Natural Resources.

The discovery was made at the Maoniuping rare earth mine in Mianning County, Sichuan Province, where additional rare earth oxide resources reached nearly 9.67 million tonnes. The deposit now ranks as the world's second-largest producing light rare earth mine, following China's Bayan Obo area in Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. Additional associated resources include 27.13 million tonnes of fluorite and 37.22 million tonnes of barite.

These minerals are essential to modern industry. Rare earth elements are widely used in electric vehicles, wind turbines and precision-guided weapons, while fluorite is the primary source of fluorine for refrigerants and nonstick coatings.