BEIJING - China's
reserves of chromium, copper, zinc, sulfuric iron
ore, phosphorus and potassium are declining,
according to a report on land and resources for
2005 issued by the Ministry of Land and Resources.
The report said that imports of relevant
mineral products have continued to rise, even
though prospecting for new domestic
supplies of the minerals has
made progress.
In 2005, the country
discovered 169 large or medium-sized reserves of
mineral resources, of which reserves of petroleum,
natural gas, coal, iron, manganese, bauxite, lead
and gold increased, and that of chromium, zinc,
sulfuric iron ore, phosphorus and potassium
declined.
Recently, China's imports of
mineral products has been increasing each year.
The import of chromite was 2.17 million tons in
2004, up 21.9% year-on-year, which increased to
3.02 million tons in 2005, up 39.2%; copper ore,
2.88 million tons, up 7.9%, which up to 4.06
million tons, up 41.0%; and potash fertilizer,
7.43 million tons, up 13.1%, and up to 9.17
million tons, up 23.4%.
To meet the rising
demand, the country has stepped up prospecting for
solid mineral resources, and achieved major
progress, such as finding new copper reserves in
Yunnan and Tibet, and lead and zinc
reserves in west Hubei province.
