A Chinese research team told the Global Times on Wednesday that they have discovered rich rare-earth oxides, estimated at one million tons, in Southwest China’s Yunnan Province, the first super-large ion-adsorption rare earth mine discovered in the country. This discovery is significant for China’s development, experts say.
The newly discovered rare earth deposit is substantial, with shallow depth and good quality, making it cost-effective to develop, the representative told the Global Times on Wednesday.
“The deposit’s location near the borders of Vietnam, Laos and Myanmar, provides the potential for further exploration to build a larger, connected rare earth resource base, while cooperating with the BRI partners,” Zhang Zuoheng, the director of Institute of Geophysical and Geochemical Exploration, Chinese Academy of Geological Sciences told to the media.
The team led by Wang Xueqiu from the Institute of Geophysical and Geochemical Exploration, Chinese Academy of Geological Sciences, not only found the exceptionally rich heavy rare earth deposit in Honghe, Yunnan, but also two large and one medium-sized deposits in other three areas of Yunnan, totaling an estimated one million tons of rare earth oxides.
Rare earth elements are scarce, described as the “vitamins of industry” and the “mother of new materials”. They are crucial materials in glass, electric vehicles, industrial robots, and aerospace. The newly found rare earths could further contribute to China’s development of manufacturing sector, high-tech and defense industries, experts said.
China is a leading producer of rare earths, supplying over 70 percent of the world’s rare earths with about 40 percent of global reserves. Its exports primarily go to the US, Japan, South Korea, France, Italy, the Netherlands, and over 70 other countries and regions.