Editor's note:In early December 2021, the Politburo meeting proposed to ensure energy and mineral security during the review of the national security strategy. This is the first time that such a high-level meeting has juxtaposed mineral security and energy security, which means that mineral security has risen to the national strategy.

This year's government work report also lists strengthening the domestic resource production guarantee capacity and accelerating the exploration and development of oil, gas, mineral and other resources as one of the priorities in 2022.

Behind the emphasis on key minerals is the growing demand for key minerals such as the global energy transition. As the market for electric vehicles, energy storage and chip industries is expanding, the demand for raw materials is also growing. However, in the international market, the supply concentration of key minerals as raw materials is high and the investment cycle is long, so the supply and demand gap and supply stability problems need to be solved urgently.

In fact, the international community has already begun to attach importance to and layout of key minerals. In November 2021, the U.S. Geological Survey revised the key mineral catalog, separating "rare earth elements" and "platinum group elements" and adding nickel and zinc (20,-5! The US government has released a new catalogue of 50 key minerals!Click to view details). The final version of the catalogue was finally released in February 2022, which was revised again in the United States after three years. In addition to the United States, Japan, the United Kingdom, the European Union, Russia, Australia and other countries and regions have also established a list of key minerals in an attempt to layout and guarantee key minerals.

In this context, it is not difficult to understand that the representatives of the two sessions are concerned about key minerals. The mining industry has sorted out the proposals and motions of some representatives and committee members. Let's take a look at what issues the representatives and committee members are concerned about and what suggestions they have put forward?

Ding Shiqi, deputy to the National People's Congress and deputy general manager of Tongling Nonferrous Metals Group, believes that the key mineral resources of the new energy industry are an important material basis for achieving my country's "double carbon" goal,It is suggested to further improve the supply guarantee system of key mineral resources for new energy in China.

Ding Shiqi said that in view of the rapid increase in global demand for mineral resources with energy attributes such as copper, lithium, nickel, and cobalt and their strategic importance, the national mining management department should make overall plans. He suggested that policies related to the development of new energy key mineral resources should be further improved.

Ding Shiqi suggested,The leading role of the government in the allocation of key mineral resources for new energy should be strengthened.He said that the supply of key mineral resources also involves the security of national strategic emerging industries. In the process of promoting the construction of ecological civilization and "double carbon" action in China,The development and utilization of key mineral resources of new energy must also transform to green and low-carbon.The competent government departments should strengthen the leading role in the allocation of key resources, give priority to the allocation of key mineral resources to large backbone enterprises with strong technical strength, ensure the efficient and intensive development and utilization of key mineral resources, and effectively and steadily protect the ecological environment.

In addition, Ding Shiqi suggested,Support policies for the entire industrial chain of new energy key mineral resources should be increased.The state should formulate corresponding support policies in the production and processing of key mineral resources, key technology research and development, and intelligent manufacturing.In finance and taxation, scientific and technological innovation, we will vigorously support "specialized and special new" enterprises in the field of new energy.

In order to maintain the good development momentum of my country's new energy vehicle industry and actively cultivate the new energy vehicle market, Ding Shiqi suggested to postpone the new energy vehicle subsidy policy and continue to exempt the purchase tax and vehicle tax until 2025. At the same time, we will vigorously accelerate the construction of supporting facilities for new energy vehicles to ensure the healthy and rapid development of the industry.

xue guanglin, member of the cppcc national committee and founder of guanghui oil, suggested that,We will establish a special fund for strategic materials and strengthen the reserves of strategic materials such as oil, natural gas, coal and iron ore.

Xue Guanglin pointed out that strategic materials such as oil, natural gas, coal and iron ore are the lifeblood of the national economy, which will directly affect national security, sustainable economic development and social stability, especially the sharp fluctuations in commodity prices in recent years. it has a great impact on the supply pattern of energy and strategic materials in China.

Xue Guanglin said that in 2021, China's crude oil imports were 0.513 billion tons, with a degree of dependence on foreign countries of 72 percent; natural gas imports were 169.9 billion square meters, with a degree of dependence on foreign countries of about 42 percent; coal imports increased by 6.6 percent year-on-year to 0.323 billion tons, ranking first in the world; iron ore imports were 1.12 billion tons, with a degree of dependence on foreign countries of 82.3 percent. in the face of increasing import dependence,it is necessary to have sufficient reserves of strategic materials in order to effectively cope with fluctuations in the international market,Avoid rising supply costs of strategic materials in China due to supply shortages, price spikes, geo-conflicts and other reasons.

xue guanglin suggested,The establishment of a special fund for strategic materials 1 trillion special allocations from the State Treasury,Several professional companies are set up to operate. The National Development and Reform Commission and the National Energy Administration are responsible for the market-oriented operation mode. 20% of the funds are used to expand the investment and construction of storage and transportation infrastructure such as reserves and oil and gas pipeline networks. The remaining 80% of the funds are used for "low absorption". When strategic resources are low in price, they will increase imports, and when they rise sharply, they will promptly "sell high" to ensure the security of national energy supply and escort the national economic construction.

Wang Zhiliang, member of the CPPCC National CommitteeSuggestions on speeding up the development of key marine minerals in China are put forward.

Wang Zhiliang pointed out that the current "double carbon" goal has become an important starting point for leading my country's economic transformation internally and demonstrating the responsibilities of a major country externally. The energy transition is in full swing, and the concept of "green water and green mountains are golden mountains and silver mountains" is deeply rooted in the hearts of the people.As more areas begin to use and popularize new energy sources, the world's demand for key minerals continues to increase, especially lithium, nickel, cobalt, copper, and zinc.Many key minerals are more abundant in the ocean. Therefore, the country needs to coordinate relevant departments and industries to effectively research and develop marine key minerals.

Wang Zhiliang believes that my country has initially formed the design and equipment research and development capabilities of the deep-sea polymetallic nodule mining system, while taking into account the research and development of cobalt-rich crusts and polymetallic sulfide mining technology and equipment, but it also faces basic theories and core technologies and equipment. bottleneck.

Wang Zhiliang said that land-based mineral resources are limited and the contradiction between supply and demand continues to expand,The marine mineral development potential is huge.Many institutions predict that the total reserves of nickel, cobalt, and manganese in the ocean are tens to thousands of times higher than the corresponding reserves on land. By 2030, the global deep-sea mining market is expected to grow from $0.65 billion in 2020 to $15.3 billion, an annual growth rate of 37.1 per cent. In addition, the green transformation of energy has become the main driving force for the growth of demand for some key minerals; the production and supply capacity of key minerals on land is subject to multiple constraints; the gap between supply and demand will exist for a long time and there is a tendency to expand and other factors. Therefore, he puts forward suggestions:

One isIt is suggested that the relevant departments of the state should take the lead in conducting a comprehensive investigation and study on the demand, import dependence, land-based production capacity and resource potential of China's key minerals as soon as possible, so as to find out the "family background" of China's key minerals, and have a good idea of the future marine key minerals and the development market prospects.

Two isIt is recommended that the relevant departments of the State take the lead in conducting a comprehensive investigation and study of the key mineral resources in China's territorial waters and exclusive economic zones, so as to find out the marine resource potential and economic value of China's key minerals,At the same time, it is studying the development plan in the high seas.

Three isIt is suggested that the relevant departments of the state should speed up the development of basic theories, core technologies and key equipment for key marine minerals.Increase research and development efforts, overcome scientific research difficulties, the establishment of modern mining and commercial demonstration projects.

Four isRecommendationsThe relevant departments of the state coordinate the exploration and development of key marine minerals by relevant advantageous enterprises.It is necessary to break down the barriers and administrative divisions between industries and enterprises, and strive to achieve pooling advantages and efficient development.

Five isIt is recommended that relevant national departments study the creation of a favorable external environment and international institutional support for the development of more key minerals on the high seas.

He Wenbo, member of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, Secretary of the Party Committee and Executive Chairman of the China Iron and Steel Association, will submit at the two sessionsThe proposal on the implementation of the "cornerstone plan" to enhance China's iron resource security capacity and other proposals, aimed at further enhancing China's iron resource security capacity.

According to He Wenbo, the iron and steel industry is an important basic industry of the national economy. at present,China's iron and steel industry has built the world's leading production technology and equipment, the scale of steel production and consumption remains at 1 billion tons, and the demand for iron resources is large.Overseas mines, domestic mines and scrap are the three main sources of iron resources in China's iron and steel industry. In 2021, China's steel production will be 1.035 billion tons, imported iron ore 1.124 billion tons, domestic iron concentrate 0.285 billion tons, and steel scrap consumption 0.23 billion tons. Currently, 61% of the iron resources required for crude steel production come from imported iron ore, up from 62% in the previous year. Insufficient domestic supply and high dependence on overseas imports,The weakness of steel upstream supply chain has posed a threat to steel development and industrial base.

"The state attaches great importance to the safety and security of strategic mineral resources. In the coming period, the intensity of China's steel demand will remain at a high level, and the dependence on foreign iron resources is too high, which will adversely affect the stable operation of the steel industry chain and supply chain, and measures must be taken to fundamentally improve it." He Wenbo said.

It is understood that the theme of the "Cornerstone Plan" is to use 2-3 "Five-Year Plan" time to effectively change the source composition of my country's iron resources and fundamentally solve the problem of shortcomings in the iron and steel industry chain resources.

The proposal to be submitted by He Wenbo mainly includes three aspects:

One is to open up a green approval channel to speed up the development of domestic iron ore resources.The National Development and Reform Commission, together with the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, the Ministry of Natural Resources, the Ministry of Ecology and Environment, and the Ministry of Emergency Management, formed an inter-ministerial coordination and promotion system to urge local governments to establish corresponding working mechanisms, strengthen comprehensive coordination, open up green channels, and solve problems in project approval and development and construction. Promote the development of resources in important metallogenic belts to ensure that a number of projects with better resource endowments, large scales, and strong cost competitiveness are completed and put into operation. Adjust and optimize the collection method of mining rights transfer income, reduce the value-added tax rate of iron mining enterprises, expand the scope of value-added tax deduction, and reduce the operating burden of iron ore enterprises. Increase financial support, set up special funds and national technology centers, strengthen key research on cost reduction technologies, and actively promote the comprehensive utilization of iron ore resources.

The second is to prevent investment risks and accelerate the development of overseas iron ore.It is recommended that the state and relevant departments attach great importance to the development of overseas iron ore resources, and support relevant enterprises to accelerate development and construction, solve financing obstacles, and provide financial support under the premise of effectively preventing investment risks and ensuring benefits. Adhering to opening up to the outside world, strengthening and developing cooperation with the international mineral resources industry are still important principles that should be consistent.

The third is to support the development of the scrap industry and accelerate the recycling of scrap resources.It is suggested that the relevant departments should promote the concentration of scrap steel industry and cultivate leading enterprises; promote the improvement and improvement of the recovery, processing, distribution and circulation system of scrap steel resources; implement the value-added tax policy for comprehensive utilization of resources; study the value-added tax preferential policies for imported recycled steel raw materials, so as to create conditions for expanding imports.

Jiang Weiping, a deputy to the National People's Congress and chairman of Tianqi Lithium Industry, believes that,Accelerating the development and utilization of lithium resources in Sichuan Province,It is an important measure to ensure the security of the national important strategic resource supply chain and realize the national "double carbon" goal.He suggested that enterprises with development conditions should be actively guided to speed up the transformation of resources into production capacity, promote the large-scale, intensive and green development and utilization of lithium resources, and orderly promote the construction of national lithium resource bases.

Jiang Weiping pointed out that China has become the world's largest producer and consumer of basic lithium materials. China's lithium resource reserves are in the forefront of the world, and the resource varieties are relatively rich. However, the domestic supply of lithium raw materials is insufficient, and the degree of external dependence is high. Jiang Weiping believes that accelerating the green and efficient development of my country's lithium resources has important strategic significance for ensuring the development of the lithium industry.

Jiang Weiping pointed out that Sichuan is rich in lithium resources. Jika in Ganzi Prefecture, Sichuan is the largest pegmatite spodumene deposit in my country. The lithium resource reserve is large in scale, high in grade, and has great potential for comprehensive development and utilization. The proven lithium resource reserves have reached 1.8877 million tons. The Lijiagou spodumene mine in Jinchuan County, Aba Prefecture, Sichuan Province has proven lithium resource reserves of about 510000 tons, and the lithium resource in the Sze Muzu area is nearly 520000 tons. Therefore,Speeding up the development and utilization of lithium resources in Sichuan Province is an important measure to ensure the security of the country's important strategic resource supply chain and achieve the national "double carbon" goal,It is also an inevitable choice to accelerate the transformation of Sichuan's resource advantages into production capacity advantages, make full use of the window period of energy structure reform, and better promote economic restructuring and energy consumption transformation.

jiang weiping suggested,Establish and improve the protection system for the development and utilization of mineral resources.We will improve the guidance documents for the development and utilization of mining rights in mining areas, and speed up the work of continuing, cleaning up and canceling all kinds of mining rights that have not been built, have been suspended for a long time, have not applied for renewal upon expiration, and have not been canceled. Optimize and improve the industrial development policy in the ethnic minority areas of Northwest Sichuan, actively guide enterprises with development conditions to accelerate the transformation of resources into production capacity, promote the large-scale, intensive and green development and utilization of lithium resources, and orderly promote the construction of national lithium resource bases.

Apart from that,in terms of international economic and trade exchanges,jiang weiping also suggested that,Strengthening cooperation and exchanges at the governmental level,Accurately grasp the strategic window of world economic recovery,We will carry out practical cooperation in areas such as the smooth flow of international industrial chains and supply chains, enhance the image of Chinese-funded enterprises and protect their right to development.

In view of the political, economic and legal risks that may arise in the early, middle and late stages of strategic resource mergers and acquisitions, Jiang Weiping suggested that,Government departments and industry associations have strengthened their guidance and assistance to "going global" enterprises, established close communication mechanisms, and actively coordinated and resolved relevant issues.While resolving the risks related to international mergers and acquisitions, it will further enhance the ability of Chinese enterprises to "go global.