China ranks among the world’s top three producers and holders of reserves across a wide range of minerals and metals, providing significant leverage in resource security and the energy transition.
China holds the world’s largest reserves of tin, graphite and rare earths, as well as the second-largest reserves of lead and zinc and the third-largest reserves of manganese. By contrast, China’s reserves of gold, copper, bauxite, nickel and cobalt are relatively modest.
China is the leading global producer of gold, lead, zinc, tin, aluminium, graphite and rare earths, and ranks third in iron ore and lithium production. China accounts for nearly 80% of world graphite output, 70% of rare earths, 60% of aluminium, 44% of lead, 33% of zinc and 23% of tin.
China’s dominance in both reserves and production across various key strategic minerals provides the country with significant geopolitical leverage, supply-chain security and industrial capacity. However, in a few critical cases—notably cobalt, copper and nickel—China remains reliant on strategic imports.
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