Recently, the work of unified registration and confirmation of ownership for mineral resources with proven reserves has been steadily and orderly advancing: pilot programs have been launched in Fujian and Guizhou provinces; 10 research teams have been organized to conduct specialized surveys in 16 provinces and relevant oil-and-gas companies; and a symposium has been held to deploy the survey work on unified registration and confirmation of ownership for mineral resources with proven reserves and oil-and-gas mineral resources with proven reserves... So, what is the significant importance of carrying out the unified registration and confirmation of ownership for mineral resources with proven reserves? And how are various regions currently promoting this work? Recently, a reporter interviewed Ju Jianhua, Director of the Department of Mineral Resource Reserves at the Ministry of Natural Resources, to learn more about these issues.

　　It is of great significance for the construction of ecological civilization systems and the protection of property rights.

　　Speaking about the significance of carrying out unified property rights registration for mineral resources with proven reserves, Ju Jianhua said that this is an important component of the unified property rights registration system for natural resources. In December 2016, the Leading Group for Comprehensively Deepening Reform under the Central Committee reviewed and approved, and the Ministry of Natural Resources, together with the Office of Institutional Establishment under the CPC Central Committee, the Ministry of Finance, and five other departments, issued the "Measures for Unified Property Rights Registration of Natural Resources (Trial)." These measures explicitly state that the unified property rights registration of mineral resources with proven reserves is a crucial part of the unified property rights registration system for natural resources. The measures also emphasize the need to adopt a pilot-first approach, building on the foundation of real estate registration and conducting unified registration—in accordance with prescribed content and procedures—of seven categories of natural resources, including mineral resources with proven reserves.

　　Ju Jianhua believes that currently, China has established a series of regulations and systems governing the disposal of natural resource assets, the distribution of revenues, and oversight and management. However, overall, these resources have not yet been accounted for and managed as true assets. Instead, the management of natural resources is largely organized by individual resource types, with each administrative department operating independently and acting in isolation—a situation characterized by multiple overlapping authorities and a lack of unified planning. As a result, the inventory of state-owned natural resource assets remains unclear, resource utilization efficiency is low, and the attribution of revenues generated from these resources is not clearly defined. Therefore, unified property rights registration and registration is the prerequisite and foundation for better standardizing and managing these resources.

　　First, carrying out unified registration and confirmation of property rights for natural resources such as mineral reserves plays a crucial foundational role in supporting the construction of an ecological civilization. Through this property rights registration process, we can promote the establishment of a property rights system for mineral resource assets that features clear ownership, well-defined rights and responsibilities, and effective oversight—thus helping to strengthen the state’s protection and regulation of mineral resources.

　　Second, carrying out unified registration and confirmation of mineral resource rights plays a crucial role in strengthening property rights protection. By conducting rights confirmation and registration, we can gradually delineate the boundaries between state ownership and the exercise of ownership rights by governments at different levels, as well as clearly define the boundaries among various types of natural resources. This approach helps fundamentally address issues such as inadequate identification of mineral resource owners and ambiguous boundaries of ownership rights, thereby enabling the government to better fulfill its role and further improve the management system for natural resource assets.

　　Third, carrying out unified property rights registration for mineral resources with proven reserves plays a crucial role in implementing the new development philosophy. It also helps to ensure that the entities holding rights over mineral resources fulfill their protection responsibilities, maximizes their motivation to safeguard these resources, and promotes the orderly and rational exploration and utilization of mineral resources. As pilot reform efforts in related fields continue to advance, this initiative will demonstrate even greater significance.

　　Implement responsibilities and promote progress steadily and in an orderly manner.

　　What is the current progress of the unified property rights registration work for mineral resources with proven reserves? Ju Jianhua introduced that the Ministry of Natural Resources attaches great importance to this work and has designated it as a key reform task for 2017. On January 31, 2017, the Ministry convened a special coordination meeting on the national pilot program for unified property rights registration of natural resources, laying out plans for the pilot work. The pilot work is primarily driven by governments at all levels and natural resources departments in the pilot regions. According to the division of responsibilities within the Ministry of Natural Resources, the Department of Reserves is responsible for the unified property rights registration of mineral resource reserves with proven reserves. The reserve management departments under the natural resources authorities at various levels serve as the main implementers and participants. Fujian and Guizhou provinces are simultaneously undertaking specific pilot tasks.

　　Ju Jianhua introduced that, in accordance with the requirements of the Central Government and the Party Group of the Ministry, the Department of Reserves has carried out relevant work: First, it drafted a pilot work plan and launched the pilot program. Following the issuance on December 20 last year of the “Measures for Unified Registration and Confirmation of Natural Resource Rights (Trial),” the Department of Mineral Resource Reserves, based on thorough research, prepared the “Pilot Work Plan for Incorporating Proven Mineral Resource Reserves into the Unified Registration and Confirmation of Natural Resource Rights.” It also organized a national training workshop on mineral resource reserve management, held symposiums with reserve management personnel from provincial departments, and convened related seminars. After multiple rounds of revision and refinement, the plan was officially issued and implemented on March 15 this year. Second, it provided guidance to Fujian and Guizhou provinces—two pilot provinces—in formulating their own implementation plans. Currently, Fujian and Guizhou provinces have both developed their respective implementation plans in line with the Ministry of Natural Resources’ pilot work plan. Guizhou Province’s pilot plan has been approved by the provincial government and officially issued; Fujian Province’s plan is undergoing interdepartmental review, and the pilot work is about to be fully rolled out. Given that the pilot provinces have relatively few oil and gas resources, in order to maintain a coordinated pace, oil and gas mineral resources will be tracked promptly through survey and research projects. Third, it took the lead in establishing a working group and an expert advisory panel to strengthen leadership and technical support. Fourth, it set up special research projects to study and address key issues. Specifically, the Oil and Gas Center of the Ministry of Natural Resources is responsible for researching the construction of the rights confirmation and registration system and studying the technical requirements for registering proven oil and gas reserves; the Ministry’s Review Center is tasked with researching the technical requirements for registering proven non-oil and gas mineral reserves, providing guidance for the pilot work and laying the foundation for ultimately formulating guidelines on rights confirmation and registration. Fifth, it arranged for special surveys targeting 16 provinces and 5 oil and gas companies.

　　The pilot program and research are being advanced in parallel to broaden the scope of our work.

　　Speaking about how to advance the unified registration and confirmation of ownership rights for mineral resources with proven reserves, Ju Jianhua emphasized that the fundamental principles are: upholding state ownership of mineral resources; adhering to the principle of statutory property rights; ensuring comprehensive and balanced consideration; taking real estate registration as the foundation; and staying true to the direction of socialist market economy reform.

　　Ju Jianhua pointed out that the pilot program for unified property rights registration of mineral resources with proven reserves has now been launched. The task is both heavy and time-sensitive. To compensate for the limited number of pilot areas, the ministry has decided to carry out a large-scale research study. By simultaneously advancing the pilot program and the research, we can broaden our coverage, identify universal patterns, pinpoint and address key and difficult issues, and develop work experience and institutional frameworks that are replicable and scalable.

　　Regarding the research and investigation work, Ju Jianhua emphasized that, first, the investigation must closely align with the target tasks and effectively control key links. The overarching goal is to establish a mineral resource rights confirmation and registration system characterized by clear ownership, well-defined responsibilities and powers, and effective oversight—thus laying a solid foundation for building a property rights system for natural resource assets. The pilot work prioritizes three main tasks: "taking stock of resources, setting up accounts, and building a platform." Among these, taking stock of resources is the most fundamental task and deserves the utmost attention. Similarly, the investigation itself is the most critical component of the entire rights confirmation and registration process. The investigation plan has clearly defined the key contents and tasks, including reserve management, the status of reserve registration databases, the utilization of findings from surveys on the current state of mineral resource utilization, and the results of previous clean-up efforts on state-funded mineral exploration sites. It also addresses how to determine the scope of rights confirmation and registration units, delineate registration authorities and management responsibilities, and assess whether existing technical standards, regulations, and the mineral resource reserve evaluation, filing, and registration system can adequately support the rights confirmation and registration of mineral resources.

　　Second, keep a firm grasp on the overall schedule and make careful arrangements for the work. The pilot phase’s main tasks are to be completed by February of next year, and the evaluation and acceptance process is to be finished by the end of June, from March onward. Full-scale implementation will begin in the second half of next year or in 2019.

　　Third, non-pilot regions and units should take the initiative, promptly follow up on the Ministry’s work arrangements, strengthen their research on existing issues, and actively carry out preparatory work. They should think more deeply and conduct more thorough research into potential solutions, avoiding reliance on others or a wait-and-see attitude that could lead to passivity in their work. In the course of field investigations, strict adherence to work discipline is essential, with the primary goals being to identify problems, analyze them thoroughly, and find effective solutions—striving for tangible results.