Special status sought for Qaidam Basin for its rich resources

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www.TibetanReview.net, Mar 31’08

Noting that the Qaidam Basin in Qinghai is an area holding the highest reserves of several key mineral resources in China, Zhang Zhouping, a representative of the 1st session of the 11th CPPCC (Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference), asked for it to be included among the national key science and technology programmes, reported China’s online Tibet news service en.Tibet.cn Mar 5.

He has cited the latest general survey of mineral resources in Qaidam Basin as showing that its storage of natrium, magnesium, kalium, boron, lithium, strontium and etc., had totalled 365 billion tons, accounting for 98 per cent of the total reserves in China, with their potential economic value reaching as high as 16.4 trillion yuan. He has noted that the Qaidam Basin was not only a crucial chemical base in utilizing salt lake resources but also the largest storage of magnesium, lithium, potassium and iodine in China. He has said Qaidam Basin was also rich in petroleum and natural gas, coal resources, non-ferrous metals and so on. He has noted that these favourable conditions offer Qaidam Basin wide prospects for developing saline and natural gas chemical industry, chemical processing of coal and nonferrous metals industry etc.

Zhang has sought special fund to be allotted for the region’s comprehensive resources utilization. He has also asked that the construction of railways from Golmud to Dunhuang and Kuerle be expedited. He has asked for the Golmud to Chengdu via Maduo railway to be placed on the national railway construction agenda.

Qaidam Basin was among the first batch of areas to be declared by China in Oct 2005 as a Recycling Economy Experimental Area.

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