Two Chinese mining companies are teaming up to explore Tibet as they seek to tap into the autonomous region’s vast resources of copper, gold, and other critical minerals.
Xizang Zhihui Mining (HK:2546) and state-owned Zhaojin Nonferrous Mining (HK:1818) recently signed a strategic cooperation framework agreement for joint mineral exploration in Tibet, according to the South China Morning Post (SCMP).
In its statement, Zhihui says the partners will target strategic minerals including copper, molybdenum, chromium, antimony, gold, tungsten, and zinc.
Importantly for the broader mining sector, the partnership will not be limited to Tibet, the company adds.
“The model, once proven, could be replicated for high-quality non-ferrous mining projects elsewhere in mainland China, further expanding the scope of investment,” Zhihui says.
China steps up exploration
The agreement is the latest example of state-owned and private-sector miners participating in Beijing’s nationwide push to expand mineral exploration, which began in 2021.
“Tibet is not only an important national ecological-security barrier, but also a strategic reserve base for the country’s natural resources,” Zhihui points out.
“Tibet has a significant and diverse mineral resource base,” Liu Wenjing, a member of the AIFC Executive Council for the Mining Sector, tells SCMP.
At least nine strategic minerals found in Tibet rank among China’s top three by known resource volumes, according to data from regional authorities cited by the publication.
The region ranks first nationally for identified resources of copper, chromium, antimony, salt-lake lithium, and boron.
The China Geological Survey said last year that more than 20 million tonnes of copper resources had been newly identified across the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau since the start of the nation’s 14th Five-Year Plan in 2021.
Home to major mines
Tibet is already home to some of China’s largest mining operations, including the large Yulong copper mine operated by Zijin Mining (SHE:300308). The mine produced nearly 200,000 tonnes of the metal in 2025.
Zhihui operates the Mengya’a zinc-lead-copper mine in the region, which has been in operation for nearly two decades.
Zhaojin Nonferrous, meanwhile, is a state-owned mining group with gold and base metals operations across several of China’s mineral-rich provinces, including Yunnan, Guizhou, and Shandong.
Write to Jackson Chen at Mining.com.au
Main Image: McKay Savage, under Wikimedia Commons licence CC BY 2.0.
