Recently, with funding from a project of the China Geological Survey, a special project for international cooperation and exchange under the Ministry of Science and Technology, and a project of the State Oceanic Administration, Researcher Wang Zongqi and Researcher Zhao Yuanyi from the Institute of Resources at the China Geological Survey’s Institute of Geology organized and published the “Belt and Road” Mineral Geology Special Issue in the first issue of 2017 of “Geological Bulletin.” This is China’s first special issue dedicated to the mineral geology of the Belt and Road Initiative.

　　According to reports, the original “Belt and Road” initiative encompassed most of Asia, Eastern Europe, North Africa, and other regions, including a total of 65 countries—this can be referred to as the “narrow-sense Belt and Road.” As the “Belt and Road” initiative has gained increasing acceptance from more and more countries, many nations in Africa and South America have also actively joined. Currently, the number of countries participating in the “Belt and Road” has exceeded 65, and this expanded version can be called the “broad-sense Belt and Road.” Based on past observations, the broad-sense “Belt and Road” countries are rich in major energy and critical mineral resources such as uranium, copper, aluminum, lead, zinc, nickel, and iron; they also hold significant potential for emerging industrial minerals like rare earth elements and other so-called “three rare” minerals.

　　Whether viewed in the narrow or broad sense, “Belt and Road” countries all exhibit good complementarity with China’s mineral resources. Most of the countries and regions along the Belt and Road have low levels of geological exploration for minerals, yet boast favorable ore-forming conditions and enormous potential for mineral discovery. Moreover, these countries enjoy long-standing, friendly, and neighborly relations with China, providing a solid foundation for cooperation in mineral exploration and development. These regions will thus become key target areas for China’s high-quality cooperation in mineral exploration and development capacity building.

　　This publication, primarily based on comprehensive research, features a special volume on mineral geology along the Belt and Road Initiative, comprising 11 papers totaling approximately 300,000 characters. The content is summarized under three main aspects: First, a synthesis of the metallogenic patterns of copper and gold deposits within the broader Belt and Road Initiative region, as well as progress in the study of typical deposits—focusing particularly on the Circum-Pacific metallogenic domain and deposits associated with alkaline rocks; Second, a summary of the distribution patterns, exploration potential, and recent research advances concerning minerals within the narrower Belt and Road Initiative region, including: the geological settings and metallogenesis of large and super-large gold deposits, the distribution patterns and exploitation technologies for key non-metallic minerals (such as potash and boron ores) and energy metals (such as uranium and lithium ores), the geological and mineralogical characteristics and exploration potential of the China-Myanmar Economic Corridor, the metallogenic patterns in the Southeast Asian region, and the latest research progress on typical deposits in key countries; Third, recommendations for mineral exploration and development by Chinese enterprises within the Belt and Road Initiative region.

　　This album will help advance the implementation of the Belt and Road Initiative in the geology and mineral resources sector and support Chinese mining enterprises as they “go global.”