CHINA will spend 30 billion yuan (US$4.5 billion) over the next five years to explore for mineral deposits to cut its reliance on imported mineral products, an official said.
China will launch the mineral exploration project in 21 provinces, Vice Minister of Land and Resources Wang Min said yesterday.
Over the past 12 years, Chinese scientists have discovered more than 900 locations that contain mineral deposits, the China Geological Survey said in October.
Five deposits in Liaoning, Hebei, Henan, Shandong and Shanxi provinces may hold 5 billion tons of iron ore. Up to 38.5 million tons of copper ore have been found in Tibet, Xinjiang and Yunnan Province.