China opposes protectionism along new Silk Road, resources minister says
Jiang Daming tells delegates at Tianjin conference that they need to find ‘new path to reinvigorate mining sector’
China’s land and resources minister on Saturday called for trade protectionism to be totally opposed as he pledged to promote greater cooperation in the mining industry as part of Beijing’s belt and road plan.
In the opening speech at the China Mining conference in Tianjin, Jiang Daming told delegates – who had come from as far afield as Uganda and Chile – that they needed to find a “new path to reinvigorate the mining sector”.
The market capitalisation of major mining companies had risen for five consecutive quarters, Jiang said, but “prices for major mineral products are still at a low level”. That meant there was still much work to be done, Jiang said, without mentioning which minerals he was referring to.
Trade protectionism should be opposed, trade barriers removed and transaction costs lowered, Jiang said, adding that work needed to be done to harmonise and standardise mining regulations.
Jiang, who in his speech drew on Chinese President Xi Jinping’s revival of the ancient Silk Road, which Beijing calls the “Belt and Road Initiative”, said China would establish a mechanism to promote resource prosperity and development in countries taking part in the scheme.
The belt and road countries hold over 50 per cent of the world’s natural gas, 20 per cent of its iron ore and a large proportion of many mineral products, Shi Yulong, director of China’s Institute of Spatial Planning and Regional Economy, later told the conference, without specifying which nations he was including.
Jiang earlier noted that more than 140 countries took part in Xi’s belt and road forum in Beijing in May.
