On December 20, reporters learned at the 2017 Mid-term Review Meeting of the National Project for Building a System of Technical Standards for Mineral Resource Reserves that the national project—aimed at establishing a system of technical standards for mineral resource reserves in China’s mineral resource management sector—has launched 65 research topics, completed the acceptance of 21 topics, and submitted 27 technical standards and research findings. The project has achieved phased results, particularly making significant progress in aligning reserve classification standards with international practices.

　　The technical standard system for mineral resource reserves forms the foundation and core of China’s geological exploration and mineral resource standards series. The national project for building the technical standard system for mineral resource reserves was implemented from 2015 to 2018, organized by the Reserves Department of the Ministry of Natural Resources and carried out by the Ministry’s Mineral Resource Reserve Evaluation Center. The project aims to comprehensively and systematically revise and improve China’s classification of oil, natural gas, and solid mineral resources/reserves, management methods for deposit industrial indicators, general guidelines for geological exploration specifications, single-mineral-species geological exploration specifications, and technical requirements, thereby establishing a technical standard system that is well-suited to ensuring mineral resource security, promoting ecological civilization, and reflecting green development.

　　According to Ju Jianhua, Deputy Director of the Office for the Construction of the National Technical Standards System for Mineral Resource Reserves and Director of the Reserves Department of the Ministry of Natural Resources, the establishment of a technical standards system for reserves plays a crucial leading role in enhancing China's level of mineral resource exploration and development. It is also of great significance for promoting the implementation of the Belt and Road Initiative, strengthening international cooperation in the mining sector, and standardizing China’s mineral exploration, development, and regulatory activities. The Ministry of Natural Resources attaches great importance to this initiative and has mandated that all standards-related projects should aim at the issuance of official standards, thoroughly conduct research and validation on the classification and revision of mineral resource reserves, strengthen mid-term project reviews and process controls, and ensure the high quality of project work.