At the recently held National Conference on Land and Resources, Wang Min, a member of the Party Leadership Group and Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Natural Resources, stated that the mining economy is currently in a slump, with severe overcapacity and deep price declines. The task of structural reform is therefore extremely challenging, compelling an acceleration of reforms in mining rights management. In this regard, he emphasized that the Ministry of Natural Resources must deepen reforms in mining rights management and systematically delegate authority for approving mining rights.

　　Regarding the management of mining rights, Wang Min put forward four requirements: First, we must deepen the reform of mining rights management. We should study and establish a national equity fund system for mineral resources, eliminate unreasonable charges, and reduce the burden on enterprises. According to... “ High-risk mining rights require more investment, while low-risk mining rights yield higher returns. ” the approach of exploring and improving the competitive bidding system for mining rights. Gradually decentralize the approval authority for mining rights and strengthen supervision during and after the event. Promote the refinement, standardization, and transparency of mining rights approval and management, and establish a comprehensive management framework covering exploration approval, mining approval, and overall management of mining rights. “2+1” Institutional framework. Second, we must strengthen reserve management. For resource reserves identified through state-funded exploration, we need to thoroughly inventory our assets, standardize evaluation procedures, and implement paid disposal mechanisms. We should also explore institutional reforms to shift from reserve appraisal to reserve registration. Furthermore, we should actively promote surveys of mineral resource reserves. Third, in coordination with efforts to reduce overcapacity in industries such as steel and coal, we must promptly adjust policies governing mining rights management. We should study the establishment of a mining industry development fund to support and foster the steady, healthy growth of the mining sector. Fourth, we need to reform the regulatory approach for mining right holders by enhancing information disclosure, encouraging social oversight, conducting random inspections, and establishing— “ Blacklist ” and other measures to strengthen the construction of a credit system and enhance credit constraints on mining right holders.

　　Yao Huajun, Director of the Mineral Development Administration Department of the Ministry of Natural Resources and国土资源, also revealed during the group discussion at the National Conference on Natural Resources that, in order to further implement the central government’s spirit and requirements of streamlining administration and delegating power and transforming government functions, the Ministry of Natural Resources is considering transferring a large number of mining rights approval authorities to the provincial-level natural resources authorities. Among the approval authorities that the Ministry of Natural Resources plans to retain, only exploration rights will remain. 6 The types of minerals—including oil, natural gas, shale gas, uranium ore, rare earth elements, and molybdenum ore—will be subject to mining rights approvals that are limited exclusively to large-scale or strategically important mineral resource extraction projects.

　　Yao Huajun stated that the approval process for mining rights involves multiple departments, including the National Development and Reform Commission, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, and the Ministry of Environmental Protection. Therefore, in the next step, the Ministry of Natural Resources will collaborate with the relevant ministries and invite experts to conduct a thorough assessment of the related issues.

　　It is understood that this year, the Ministry of Natural Resources will also refine and introduce a batch of mineral resource management systems. Among these, the system for the transfer of mining rights will be improved, and the methods for bidding, auctioning, and listing of mining rights will continue to be refined, allowing... “ Market-based allocation has become the norm, while non-market-based allocation is the exception. ” Yao Huajun also introduced that, 2015 This year, the National Audit Office expressed high appreciation for the land and mineral resource audit work conducted by the Ministry of Natural Resources. In response to the issues raised by the National Audit Office regarding exploration rights, mining rights, and prospecting activities, the Ministry of Natural Resources will formulate a series of regulations to strengthen standardized management.

　　Regarding the issue of capacity reduction, Yao Huajun stated that, from the perspective of land and resource management, after eliminating excess production capacity in mineral resources, the question of what to do with the associated land is one that the competent land and resource authorities need to study and address. “‘ Reduce overcapacity ’ It is the nation in ‘ 13th Five-Year Plan ’ Key tasks during this period. Therefore, the competent authorities for land and resources must exercise utmost caution when allocating mining rights involving relevant mineral resources and must ensure that such allocations do not run counter to the country’s policy direction. ” Yao Huajun said.

　　In addition, Yao Huajun also pointed out that this year, the land and resources authorities face significant tasks in terms of work safety. According to the division of responsibilities among the key member units of the State Council’s Work Safety Committee, the land and resources authorities have three major tasks this year: First, to launch a special campaign to rectify the order of mineral resource exploration and mining, targeting illegal and non-compliant activities such as unlicensed mining and substituting mining for exploration; second, to supervise and guide the closure of mines that lack mining licenses, engage in over-layer or cross-boundary mining, are nearing exhaustion of resources, or fail to comply with mineral resource plans and mining rights allocation schemes—and to ensure that these closures are properly carried out. At the same time, in coordination with relevant departments, they will organize, guide, and oversee the nationwide remediation of abandoned mines; third, to take charge of safety supervision and regulation within the geological exploration industry.

　　Yao Huajun stated that this year, the relevant departments of the Ministry of Natural Resources will intensify their research efforts to gain a better understanding of new conditions, new situations, and new developments at the grassroots level. At the same time, they will strengthen interaction and communication with provincial-level natural resource authorities to jointly address challenges encountered in natural resource management.