China pledges to advance green mining at home and abroad

China will accelerate the development and application of green and intelligent mining technologies and stands ready to work with other countries to promote the sustainable development of the global mining industry, Vice Premier He Lifeng said on Thursday.

He, who has frequently represented China in international economic and trade negotiations, made the remarks at the opening ceremony of the 2026 China Mining Conference and Exhibition in Tianjin, attended by several ministers from Africa and Asia as well as a United Nations official.

Held under the theme "Win-Win Cooperation, Green and Intelligent," this year’s event comes as demand grows for critical minerals essential to the green transition and data centers, while the global mining industry faces challenges from geopolitical tensions and protectionism.

The event is the largest edition of China Mining to date, setting new records for scale and participation. From September 10 to 12, more than 650 companies spanning the mining supply chain, from equipment manufacturers to mining companies, are exhibiting at the Tianjin Meijiang Convention and Exhibition Center. The event also includes presentations by foreign mining ministers and panel discussions held across 28 forums.

Held under the guidance of China's Ministry of Natural Resources, the conference also marked the release of the China Mineral Resources Report 2026 and the Global Mining Development Report 2026. The global report found that mining financing more than doubled to $21.43 billion in 2025, while mergers and acquisitions surged 150.4 percent to $73.52 billion. However, global spending on mineral exploration declined for a fourth consecutive year.

The China report showed that 200 non-oil and gas mineral deposits were discovered in 2025, including 63 large deposits. Investment in geological exploration increased 1.6 percent, while mining investment grew 2.5 percent, marking a fifth consecutive year of growth for both. During the 14th Five-Year Plan period, China also restored 223,000 hectares of abandoned mining land, surpassing its target by 19.6 percent.

Meanwhile, China released new national standards for green exploration and mine development. The standards establish a 10-part framework covering the country's major mineral sectors, including its first national standard specifically for the green exploration of solid minerals. They set requirements for resource efficiency, carbon accounting, pollution control and ecological restoration throughout the full life cycle of exploration and mining.

The Tianjin Declaration on Green Development of the Mining Industry was also released, calling for stronger international cooperation in green exploration, cleaner production, resource recycling and mine restoration. It also calls for an open and non-discriminatory environment for mineral trade and investment.

Two new AI systems developed by the China Geological Survey, an agency under the Ministry of Natural Resources, were also unveiled. The systems are designed to help geologists survey difficult terrain and identify potential mineral deposits more efficiently, while reducing the need for fieldwork. According to the agency, domestic trials showed that the geological mapping system improved the efficiency of data processing and map production by more than 50 percent.