China Reports Growing Mineral Reserves and Output Amid Domestic Exploration Push

China's Ministry of Natural Resources reported steady expansions in domestic mineral and energy security, backed by a fifth consecutive year of growth in geological exploration and mining fixed-asset investments in 2025. Releases issued around the 2026 China International Mining Congress show 200 new non-oil and gas mineral sites identified, alongside steady increases in coal, crude oil, and natural gas output. Officials also underscored China's dominant global position in refining and processing, citing top reserve rankings across 14 minerals.

Against a backdrop of volatile global supply chains and geopolitical competition over critical minerals, Beijing's ability to boost domestic discoveries and maintain smelting dominance strengthens its central position across industrial and high-tech supply chains.

China's domestic energy and mineral security continues to expand, according to annual government assessments released around the 2026 China International Mining Congress in Tianjin. According to the China Mineral Resources Report (2026) issued by the Ministry of Natural Resources and reported by Xinhua, China marked its fifth consecutive year of positive growth in both geological exploration investment and mining fixed-asset investment in 2025. Across the country, 200 new non-oil and gas mineral sites were identified during the year, comprising 63 large, 57 medium, and 80 small deposits. Gold led new deposit counts with 16 sites, followed by iron ore with 11, coal with nine, and manganese and lithium with eight sites each. Fossil fuel production also registered steady gains in 2025. Coal output reached 4.85 billion metric tons, representing a 1.4 percent increase year on year. Crude oil production rose to 216 million metric tons, logging its seventh consecutive year of expansion, while natural gas production totaled 262.06 billion cubic meters, marking nine consecutive years of annual increases exceeding 10 billion cubic meters. Parallel findings from the Global Mining Development Report 2026, published by the China Geological Survey and reported by Securities Times, noted that the country's mineral reserves have grown substantially under its strategic prospecting initiative. The survey stated that China ranks first globally in reserves for 14 minerals, while deep-strata and deep-sea exploration are emerging as new frontiers for oil and gas. The geological survey report also highlighted Beijing's entrenched role downstream in industrial processing. China maintains the world's largest smelting and refining footprint, ranking first globally in the output of more than 30 metallurgical products. Furthermore, output for 17 mineral products accounts for approximately 50 percent of total global production, underscoring the country's role as a primary supplier and processor for global supply chains.