(TibetanReview.net, Feb08’25) – China sources much of its lithium resources from salt lakes in Qinghai and the Tibet autonomous region, reported China’s official chinadaily.com.cn Feb 8. This was cited in the context of the inauguration in Qinghai province on Feb 7 of the China Salt Lake Industrial Group Co, Ltd, a joint venture between China Minmetals Corp and Qinghai province.
The report said the salt lakes of Qinghai province, which is made up of much of the traditional Tibetan province of Amdo (or Domey) and a section of Kham (or Dotoe) province, play a vital role in China’s national resource security due to their rich reserves, especially of potash and lithium, the report said.
China Salt Lake, possessing mature potassium chloride processing technologies, leads the world in large-scale potash and lithium extraction technologies from salt lakes, the report noted.
The joint venture is stated to be China’s largest production base for potash and lithium salts derived from salt lakes.
Lithium is a key metal used in battery production for the EV industry, as well as power storage facilities used in the wind and solar power sectors.
The report said the joint venture will further boost technological and financial capabilities for developing “China’s” abundant salt lake resources, which also aligns with the Beijing’s strategic priority of enhancing domestic resource security.