China has discovered huge deposits of vital mineral ores buried beneath the Tibetan plateau, marking more than 600 potential sites for new mine construction, state media reported. According to the China Daily, the results of this week’s published research indicate the existence of between 30 and 40 million tons of copper reserves, 40 million tons of lead and zinc reserves, and several billion tons of iron ore reserves.
"The construction of these mines will greatly alleviate the pressure on existing Chinese resources," said Zhang Hongtao, deputy director of the state non-profit organization for mineral resource research, China Geological Survey, which conducted the survey. The research lasted seven years, involved a thousand scientists, and has not yet covered the entire Tibetan plateau.
Further research remains to be conducted over more than 2.6 million square kilometers of area. A large amount of mineral reserves in the region was previously out of reach, as the plateau is located at an average altitude of 4,300 meters. The establishment of a railway line in July last year connecting the Tibetan capital Lhasa with China’s densely populated central and eastern regions will now significantly facilitate transport. (H)
