Recently, the Ministry of Natural Resources issued the "Several Opinions on Improving the Operating Mechanism for Geological Prospecting and Achieving Major Breakthroughs in Mineral Exploration." 2010 In [year], the Ministry of Natural Resources issued the "Several Opinions on Establishing a New Mechanism for Geological Prospecting." 2011 In [year], the General Office of the State Council forwarded the “Outline of the Strategic Action Plan for Breakthroughs in Mineral Exploration,” jointly issued by the Ministry of Natural Resources and other departments. 2011–2020 year). According to the “...” established at that time, 358 Strategic goal: “Use” 3 Over the course of a year, achieve significant progress in geological exploration and mineral prospecting; use... 5 Over the course of a year, achieve major breakthroughs in geological mineral exploration; use... 8~10 Over the past year, the strategic initiative to achieve breakthroughs in mineral exploration and development has yielded significant results, some of which have even exceeded expectations. So, what is the background behind the Ministry of Natural Resources’ recent issuance of this document? And how does it relate to the aforementioned... 2010 Compared with the document issued last year, what are the differences in this latest document? With these questions—questions that readers are equally concerned about—in mind, a reporter from China Mining News recently interviewed the head of the Geological Exploration Department of the Ministry of Natural Resources (hereinafter referred to as “the head”).

　　China Mining News: May I ask, why is such a “viewpoint” being released at this particular time?

　　Responsible party: In accordance with the requirements of the “Notice from the General Office of the State Council on Matters Relating to the Cleanup of Administrative Regulations, Departmental Rules, and Documents,” a comprehensive cleanup shall be conducted on regulations and policy documents that are detrimental to steady growth, promoting reform, adjusting the economic structure, and benefiting the people’s livelihoods.

　　Due to the existence of regulations that are unfavorable to private capital investment, 2010 The Ministry of Natural Resources issued the “Several Opinions on Establishing a New Mechanism for Geological Prospecting” (hereinafter referred to as...). 59 Document No. has been included in the scope of the cleanup. Considering... 59 The relevant provisions concerning the organization and implementation of integrated exploration as outlined in the notice also need to be revised. In line with the Ministry of Natural Resources’ requirements for streamlining and reducing the number of normative documents through its document-clearing efforts, these provisions should be comprehensively reviewed and consolidated. 59 Document No. [Name], “Notice of the Ministry of Natural Resources on Accelerating the Promotion of Comprehensive Exploration to Achieve Major Breakthroughs in Mineral Discovery” (hereinafter referred to as [Name]) 140 Document No.), the “Notice of the Ministry of Natural Resources on Matters Relating to the Cancellation of the Approval for the Establishment of Integrated Exploration Areas and the Approval of Integrated Exploration Implementation Plans” (hereinafter referred to as 58 Document No. etc. 3 The documents will be merged and revised. The revised document will be named “Several Opinions of the Ministry of Natural Resources on Improving the Geological Prospecting Operating Mechanism to Achieve Major Breakthroughs in Mineral Exploration.”

　　China Mining News: What are the main contents of this revision and improvement?

　　Responsible party: This merger and modification primarily involves... 3 The file, that is, in its original form. 59 Based on Document No. [number], it has been merged with 140 Document No., 58 The relevant content of Document No. [number]. The key revisions include: First, amendments were made to provisions that were unfavorable to private investment; second, revisions were made to the provisions concerning state-owned geological exploration units transitioning into enterprises and paying mining rights fees; third, revisions were made to provisions related to the Central Geological Exploration Fund; fourth, provisions related to the organization and implementation of integrated exploration were consolidated; fifth, general provisions were added regarding reforms in mining rights management; sixth, additional content was introduced on optimizing exploration layouts and promoting green exploration; and seventh, content related to “encouraging scientific and technological personnel to start their own businesses while off-duty” was supplemented.

　　Overall, in addition to revising the “provisions detrimental to private investment,” this revision also takes into account the progress made in recent years by the Ministry of Natural Resources in reforming the geological exploration sector. As a result, relevant regulations pertaining to the payment of mining rights fees, the Central Geological Exploration Fund, the implementation of integrated exploration programs, mining rights management, green exploration, and geological science and technology have all been amended.

　　China Mining News: Specifically, how have the provisions detrimental to private investment been revised?

　　Responsible party: Will be original 59 In Article 5 of the document, “State-owned geological exploration units may, in accordance with relevant national regulations, contribute equity using intangible assets such as knowledge, technology, and management to participate in geological prospecting venture investments and share in the profits derived from successful mineral discoveries,” the term “state-owned geological exploration units” should be revised to “geological exploration units” to ensure consistency in the rights granted to all types of geological exploration units.

　　China Mining News: Are there any changes to the provisions regarding state-owned geological exploration units transitioning into enterprises and paying mining rights fees?

　　Responsible party: Considering 2014 The State Council has already abolished the approval requirement for paying mining and prospecting rights fees through equity contributions. The Ministry of Finance has also explicitly stated that mining rights fees may not be paid in the form of equity contributions. This revision removes the original provision. 59 The document states: “For state-owned geological exploration units that are transformed into enterprises and apply to transfer mineral rights over mineral deposits formed through state-funded exploration, with the approval of the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Natural Resources, part or all of the proceeds from such transfers may be converted into state capital contributions to the enterprise.”

　　China Mining News: Has the content related to the Central Geological Exploration Fund been revised?

　　Responsible party: How the Central Geological Exploration Fund will operate in the future is currently under study. Therefore, this revision has removed the original provision. 59 The provisions in the document regarding the objectives, usage guidelines, operational mechanisms, and equity arrangements of the geological exploration fund will be standardized by a new document once the direction of the central geological exploration fund reform has been finalized.

　　China Mining News: What modifications have been made to the organization and implementation of integrated exploration?

　　Responsible party: The organizational and implementation requirements for comprehensive exploration and surveying have not undergone any fundamental revisions. Original 140 Numbered document and original 58 The "Hao Wen" document is primarily intended to standardize integrated exploration work. This revision streamlines the two aforementioned documents and, based on this streamlined version, revises the original... 59 The “promoting the implementation of integrated exploration for mineral resources” mentioned in the document has been supplemented and revised. The revised Article 3 primarily covers the definition of integrated exploration, pathways for its establishment, preparation of exploration implementation plans, enhanced on-site guidance, and improvement of the external environment.

　　China Mining News: How has the content regarding mining rights management been revised?

　　Responsible party: Considering the original 140 The provisions in the document concerning the “mineral rights establishment plan” and “mineral rights offering plan” for integrated exploration zones have been revised. The stipulations such as “three priorities for tendering and granting mineral rights” and “prioritizing the allocation of exploration rights to existing mineral right holders within the zone” are related to the reform of the mineral rights granting system currently under study by the Ministry of Natural Resources. Moreover, the regulations governing the approval authority for exploration rights within integrated exploration zones are linked to the ongoing work being organized by the Ministry of Natural Resources to adjust the approval authorities between the ministry and provincial governments. Therefore, these provisions were not retained in this revision. For the same reasons mentioned above, the original... 59 Article 4 of the document, which previously stated “Further optimize the granting of prospecting rights,” has been revised to read “Accelerate the reform of the mineral rights management system.” This revision sets forth the guiding principles for the reform of mineral rights management.

　　China Mining News: Could you please explain the considerations behind adding “optimizing exploration layouts and promoting green exploration”?

　　Responsible Party: The 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China incorporated ecological civilization construction into the “five-in-one” overall strategic framework, setting forth tasks such as optimizing the spatial layout of land development, comprehensively promoting resource conservation, intensifying efforts to protect natural ecosystems and the environment, and strengthening institutional development for ecological civilization. Therefore, geological exploration and mineral prospecting must adapt to these new requirements and, guided by the principle of “ecology first, protection first,” adjust and optimize the exploration and development layout.

　　Meanwhile, we will vigorously promote green exploration, adjust exploration techniques and methods that have greater impacts on the ecological environment, and minimize the impact of geological exploration activities on the ecosystem. Based on the above considerations, in the original... 59 The first article of the document has been supplemented with content related to adjusting and optimizing the exploration and development layout, as well as promoting green exploration.

　　China Mining News: Has anything new been added to the mechanism for technological innovation?

　　Responsible Party: To implement the spirit of the "Several Opinions of the CPC Central Committee and the State Council on Deepening Institutional and Mechanistic Reform and Accelerating the Implementation of an Innovation-Driven Development Strategy," which encourages scientific and technological personnel to leave their posts and start businesses, we have added the following provision in the section titled "Establishing a Joint Mechanism for Technological Innovation Involving Industry, Academia, and Research": "Mobilize the entrepreneurial enthusiasm of research personnel and encourage professional and technical staff from universities, research institutes, and other public institutions to engage in entrepreneurship both while employed and after leaving their posts."

　　Meanwhile, regarding how to effectively implement the spirit of the National Conference on Scientific and Technological Innovation, the Ministry of Natural Resources is carefully studying relevant measures.