China has huge reserves of precious metals. China is rich in many rare and precious metals including gold, nickel and rhenium. According to China’s state news agency Xinhua, mineral reserves across the country have been reassessed. After this investigation, China’s strategic resources have increased drastically. It contains very precious minerals like gold, nickel, rhenium. Data from China’s Ministry of Natural Resources shows that this new exploration has multiplied the country’s mineral power.

Record rise in gold to rhenium reserves

China’s rhenium reserves have increased by more than 200 percent, Xinhua said, citing ministry data. Rhenium is not a common metal. It is used to make super-alloys that can withstand very high temperatures, from which essential parts of jet engines are made.

At the same time, gold reserves have increased to the equivalent of 50 large mines. China has also achieved great success in the matter of nickel. Its reserves have increased to 30 major mines. Apart from this, the reserves of gallium, indium, tantalum and vanadium have also increased. These four minerals have grown equivalent to 10 large mines each. This breakthrough has been achieved by re-examining mines that were previously considered low quality or difficult to exploit.

More than 1800 mines were examined in the year-long campaign

This was no small survey. The year-long project focused on China’s 17 strategic minerals. During this period, large to medium-sized mining areas were explored throughout the country with over 1,800 operating mines.

More than 100 organizations worked together to complete this entire campaign. About 2,000 survey workers worked day and night to collect this data in China’s 27 provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities. Such a treasure has only come to light through a new evaluation of the by-products buried in the old mines.

New discoveries in Xinjiang will reduce dependence on foreign countries

Apart from this nationwide investigation, China has also got a completely new breakthrough. According to Xinhua, the country’s first ‘paleofluvial-lacustrine zircon placer’ deposit (zircon deposited in old river or lake sediments) has been discovered in the Baicheng area of Xinjiang province. With this new discovery, the domestic supply of zircon within China could increase significantly. For a long time, China has been heavily dependent on imports from foreign countries for zircon. Zircon is the mineral from which zirconium is obtained. Zirconium is used to make the fuel-rod cladding (protective layer) of nuclear reactors. In addition, it is also very useful in making aerospace alloys that can withstand high temperatures.