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Breaking news: The Regulations for the Implementation of the Mineral Resources Law of the People’s Republic of China will officially come into effect today.
Breaking News! Regulations for the Implementation of the Mineral Resources Law of the People’s Republic of China It will officially come into effect today (June 15, 2026).
Our broadest national public will also resolutely support and uphold the official entry into force and implementation of this major strategic regulation—the Regulations—of our country.
According to the national Regulations that officially came into effect today, China has now included a total of 36 rare mineral resources—such as rare earths, tungsten, gallium, germanium, lithium, cobalt, nickel, molybdenum, and others—under state control. “Strategic Mineral Resources” Controlled list!
In other words, as of today—June 15, 2026—the new national regulations have officially come into force.
The official implementation of this new version of the Regulations for the Implementation of the Mineral Resources Law marks the moment when our country has directly intervened to elevate 36 critical minerals—including rare earths, tungsten, gallium, germanium, and others—from the status of “ordinary commodities” to that of strategically vital resources. “Nationally Strategic Mineral Resources” 。
Though it may seem distant from the average person, this issue actually holds the very lifeline of our nation’s science and technology, national defense, and economy—it is a grand strategic move with long-term implications.
Many people wonder: “Aren’t they just stones and metals? Why elevate this to the level of national strategy?” But that’s a sign of ignorance. In today’s high‑tech competition, the ultimate battleground is materials—and these 36 minerals are the “industrial staple” and “strategic leverage” of the 21st century. Without them, we couldn’t manufacture chips, power electric vehicles, or even begin to develop advanced military equipment.
Let’s break down their significance one by one. Starting with rare earths, often dubbed “industrial vitamins,” they are indispensable for everything from electric‑vehicle motors and wind‑turbine blades to guided weapons in the defense sector. China accounts for more than 90% of global rare‑earth refining capacity, making it a truly strategic resource. Turning to tungsten, known as the “teeth of industry,” it boasts an extremely high melting point and exceptional hardness, underpinning applications such as photovoltaic silicon‑wafer cutting, high‑end machine‑tool tools, and armor‑piercing bullet cores. China produces over 80% of the world’s tungsten, effectively monopolizing its supply.
Even more critical are gallium and germanium—two “niche” metals that may seem unremarkable but are indispensable to semiconductors and optical communications. Gallium is a core material for third‑generation semiconductors; 5G base stations, fast‑charging chips for smartphones, and satellite communications all rely on it. China accounts for over 90% of global gallium production, with virtually no alternative capacity overseas. Germanium, meanwhile, is an essential ingredient in high‑speed optical modules, military night‑vision devices, and low‑Earth‑orbit satellites; it is even rarer than rare earths, and China’s primary‑source germanium supply represents nearly 70% of the world total. Beyond these, lithium, cobalt, and nickel underpin next‑generation energy batteries, while uranium is vital to nuclear safety. Among the 36 strategic minerals, each holds irreplaceable strategic value.
Over the past years, these resources have largely been traded on the market, leading to significant problems such as their outflow at low prices, unregulated extraction, and chaotic small‑scale mining. As a result, our precious resources have failed to deliver their rightful value; instead, others have been able to leverage our materials to exert control over us. That is no longer the case. With the introduction of new regulations, a comprehensive, end‑to‑end management system now covers prospecting, extraction, smelting, trade, and storage. The core principles are threefold: authority over approvals has been centralized at the national level, leaving local governments without the power to issue arbitrary permits; total volumes of extraction and exports are strictly capped, with priority given to meeting domestic demand; and a national strategic reserve has been established, ensuring that we firmly hold control over our own resource base.
Behind this lies an inevitable choice in the great-power competition. Today, countries around the world are scrambling for critical minerals: the United States has allocated tens of billions to build strategic reserves, seeking to construct supply chains that are “de‑China‑ized.” Meanwhile, at home, the explosive growth of AI, new energy, and high‑end manufacturing has driven a sharp surge in demand for these resources, with external dependence on certain minerals exceeding 70%, posing significant security risks. By designating 36 types of minerals as strategic resources, China is essentially taking control of supply‑chain autonomy, pricing power, and resource security, no longer allowing itself to be led by others.
For ordinary people, this issue is also closely relevant. Only by safeguarding national resource security can we ensure the stable supply of chips, smartphones, and new‑energy vehicles, preventing critical materials from being bottlenecked—leading to price hikes or supply disruptions. At the same time, curbing unregulated mining will help protect the ecological environment, which, in the long run, benefits the public good.
From controlling rare earths to imposing export restrictions on gallium and germanium, and now to the strategic, end-to-end management of 36 critical minerals, China’s approach in the realm of key resources has become increasingly clear and robust. This is not merely a set of new industry regulations; it is a pivotal move by the state, driven by both security and development considerations.
In summary, the implementation of the new regulations on June 15 marks a new phase in China’s resource security strategy. The 36 strategic minerals constitute both our national resource base and our strategic bargaining chips. Safeguarding these critical resources means securing the foundation for national scientific and technological progress, upholding the bottom line of national defense, and bolstering the confidence of economic development. In the future, whoever holds the initiative over key mineral resources will occupy the commanding heights in global competition—and China has already taken a decisive step forward.
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