Against the backdrop of a new era marked by economic and social transformation, the important functional positioning and national regulatory role of geological exploration funds are becoming increasingly clear and prominent, and in practice continue to show structurally positive changes. “ Judging from the trend of increasing difficulty in geological exploration and mineral prospecting year by year, the geological exploration fund continues to maintain a relatively high success rate in mineral discoveries. At the same time, there is a growing trend toward increased investment in basic geological studies and projects with high exploration levels. Under the new circumstances, the geological exploration fund not only serves as an important means of ensuring national resource security and a key tool for macro-regulation of mineral resources, but also provides crucial support for reforming the system of mineral rights transfer and represents an important pathway for implementing the mineral resource reserve program. ” At the recent national symposium on the operation and management of the Geological Exploration Fund, Che Changbo, Director of the Central Geological Exploration Fund Management Center, stated.

　　The data shows that, 2017 Total annual investment in provincial-level geological exploration funds (including funding) nationwide 33.62 hundred million yuan, a year-on-year decrease of 31.4% ; among them, mineral exploration investment 25.82 hundred million yuan, a year-on-year decrease of 23.8% The provincial geological exploration funds nationwide are primarily invested in nationally and locally scarce, bulk important minerals as well as locally advantageous and specialty minerals; some of these funds are also allocated to basic and public-interest geological work.

　　From the perspective of specific investments, the number of projects and the amount of funding allocated by provincial geological exploration funds to areas such as basic geological surveys, hydrogeological and environmental studies, geological science and technology, and data and information services have shown a year-on-year increasing trend in terms of their share of the total number of projects and overall investment. At the same time, the number of projects and the amount of funding invested by provincial geological exploration funds in detailed exploration and prospecting stages have also been on a year-on-year upward trend. “ The proportion of projects with high exploration levels has been steadily increasing year after year, reflecting the specific demands of the market and also representing a rational adjustment in the allocation of geological exploration funds. ” The vehicle commander, Bo, stated.

　　It is worth noting that, as an important force in geological exploration under the new circumstances, geologic exploration fund projects and investments have gradually become a crucial support and key tool for the macro-regulation of mineral resource exploration and development. They have effectively propelled supply-side structural reform in the mineral sector and ensured national resource security. Since the geologic exploration fund began fulfilling its role in guiding and stimulating risk exploration, a large number of mineral resources have been identified one after another based on assessments of mineral resource potential. In particular, newly discovered reserves of certain key minerals have increased significantly. Among these, the newly discovered coal reserves account for a substantial share of the nation’s total newly discovered reserves. 98% , iron ore accounts for 45% , copper mines account for 39% , lead-zinc ore accounts for 45% , tungsten ore accounts for 59% , phosphate rock accounts for 95% The geological exploration fund projects basically cover all types of resources required for the country’s economic and social development. Focused on strategic national mineral resources and minerals urgently needed for local economic development, these projects have cumulatively identified over a thousand large- and medium-sized mineral deposits, providing strong resource guarantees to safeguard the bottom line for supplying energy, bulk minerals, and strategic emerging minerals that are critical to the overall situation. Currently, provincial-level geological exploration funds... 8182 Nearly 30% of mineral exploration projects can provide target areas for the transfer of prospecting rights in the market, and the results from geological exploration funds have gradually become the primary source for the transfer of prospecting rights.

　　Addressing the new contradictions, new challenges, new opportunities, and new issues in ensuring the supply of mineral resources in the new era, as well as the current lack of a national top-level design for geological exploration funds, Che Changbo suggests that we should firmly grasp the important functional positioning of geological exploration funds. By scientifically formulating and implementing development plans and deployment strategies for these funds, and by accurately defining their exploration scope and direction, we can further enhance the role of geological exploration funds in reducing exploration risks and attracting social capital. We should actively promote the healthy, stable, and sustainable development of geological exploration funds.