(TibetanReview.net, Jan08’25) –Thanks to recent new discoveries in occupied territories of Tibet and Xinjiang, China, the world largest consumer of lithium, has the second largest known reserve of the mineral, trailing only Chile. Lithium is a critical element for a wide range of emerging industries, including electric vehicles, energy storage systems, mobile communications, medical treatments, and nuclear reactor fuel.
The lithium reserves in the People’s Republic of China have increased from 6% to 16.5% of the global total, propelling it from sixth to second place in the world rankings, reported the official Xinhua news agency Jan 8, citing China Geological Survey under the Ministry of Natural Resources.
A world-class spodumene-type lithium belt spanning 2,800 kilometres in “west China” has been discovered, the report said.
China’s official globaltimes.cn Jan 8 said the breakthrough resulted from significant discoveries along the 2,800-kilometer-long West Kunlun-Songpan-Ganzi lithium belt in the country’s western swathes. This encompasses areas from Xinjiang (East Turkestan) to the historically Tibetan domiciles in Sichuan provinces.
The report said the lithium resources found in the Tibetan Plateau’s salt lakes have also seen substantial growth, positioning China as the third-largest salt lake lithium resource base globally, the report said.
Extracting lithium from salt lake brine, known for its low cost and reduced environmental impact, resulted in substantial lithium resource growth in the broad Tibetan Plateau region, the report said.
China’s increased domestic lithium exploration is expected to reduce its reliance on foreign supplies and contribute to a more balanced global lithium market, the Xinhua report cited experts as saying.