BEIJING (March 25): China has achieved breakthroughs in the exploration of three key minerals — rare earths, fluorite, and barite — in its southwestern Sichuan province, according to the Ministry of Natural Resources, reported Xinhua. At the Maoniuping mining area in the Mianning county, a subsidiary of China Rare Earth Group Co Ltd has confirmed a newly identified rare earth oxide resource of 9.666 million tonnes. In addition to the rare earth deposits, the same mining area also contains 27.135 million tonnes of fluorite and 37.228 million tonnes of barite, both classified as super-large-scale deposits. Wang Denghong, a director of the Institute of Mineral Resources at the Chinese Academy of Geological Sciences, underscored the significance of the discoveries of the two minerals. "If rare earths are the 'vitamins of industry', then fluorite and barite are the essential foundations and pillars of industry, irreplaceable and in constant demand," Wang said.

Source: The Edge Markets March 25, 2026 10:06 UTC