Xinjiang Autonomous Region
Critical minerals, policy, and the energy transition
The Energy Transition in Xinjiang
Xinjiang Autonomous Region, located in northwestern China, plays a pivotal role in the country’s energy transition, combining vast mineral wealth with large-scale renewable energy development. The region is rich in critical minerals such as lithium, beryllium, magnesium, silicon, aluminium, iron, cobalt, nickel, copper, zinc, silver, gold and lead, making it a strategic supplier for clean energy technologies, battery production and low-carbon industrial systems. Xinjiang is also a national leader in solar and wind energy deployment, supported by its expansive territory and strong solar irradiance. Integrated with long-distance transmission infrastructure, the region exports clean electricity to eastern provinces, contributing to China’s broader decarbonisation strategy. At the same time, Xinjiang is modernising its mining and materials processing industries to align with national environmental targets, while promoting green industrial development and innovation. As global demand for critical minerals continues to rise, Xinjiang’s resources and energy infrastructure place it at the forefront of China's clean energy future.
A provincial analysis of China’s critical minerals and policies
SFA explores the provincial frontlines of China’s strategy to secure its future in the global energy transition. As demand for critical minerals rises for electric vehicles, batteries and renewable energy, China sits at the centre of this shift as both producer and consumer. SFA examines how provincial policies, resource endowments and mining practices shape China’s critical minerals landscape. From lithium-rich Qinghai to rare earth-heavy Inner Mongolia, this province-by-province analysis reveals the challenges and opportunities driving China’s role in the future of global energy and environmental policy.
Anhui
Anhui Province is key in China's critical minerals market, especially for rare earths and lithium, supporting electronics and renewable energy. It aims to boost China's global market dominance through mining and processing advancements.
Beijing
Beijing is central to China's critical minerals strategy, driving policy, research, and innovation for sustainable extraction and processing, particularly of rare earth elements vital for high-tech industries.
Chongqing
Chongqing is a hub for technological innovation and manufacturing in China, increasingly involved in the critical minerals sector, focusing on refining and processing capacities.
Fujian
Fujian Province in China is advancing in the critical minerals industry, focusing on the processing and manufacturing sectors related to rare earth elements and other critical materials.
Gansu
Gansu Province is gaining momentum in China’s critical minerals sector, particularly through its rare earth and lithium resources, which are increasingly vital to the renewable energy and electronics industries.
Guangdong
Guangdong Province, a major industrial hub, is expanding its role in China’s critical minerals sector, focusing on processing and advanced manufacturing linked to rare earths and key materials.
Guangxi Zhuang
Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region stands out in China’s critical minerals sector with rich rare earth deposits and a focus on sustainable extraction to drive clean energy and high-tech industries.
Guizhou
Guizhou Province is emerging in China's critical minerals sector, with significant reserves of rare earth elements and other minerals. It is focusing on sustainable mining practices and developing its processing industry.
Hainan
Hainan, China’s southernmost province, is expanding into sustainable mining and renewable energy, leveraging its coastal location for solar, wind, and marine projects while promoting green development.
Hebei
Hebei Province builds on its iron ore and industrial strength to expand into rare earths, prioritising sustainable practices and processing innovation to support China’s tech and infrastructure development.
Heilongjiang
Heilongjiang, in China's far northeast, is rich in mineral resources like coal and graphite, essential for energy and high-tech industries. The province is enhancing its mining efficiency and environmental protection efforts.
Henan
Henan Province, located in central China, is known for its rich aluminium and magnesium resources, with efforts underway to enhance extraction and processing to serve the rising demand in construction and manufacturing.
Hubei Province
Hubei Province is advancing in China’s critical minerals sector, with a focus on copper and phosphorus, key to electronics and agriculture, while promoting innovation in mining and sustainable development.
Hunan
Hunan stands out for its rich deposits of antimony and rare earth elements, crucial for tech and green energy solutions. Hunan is at the forefront of supplying critical materials to meet China's economic ambitions.
Inner Mongolia
Inner Mongolia boasts vast reserves of rare earth elements, coal, and other strategic minerals. This autonomous region is instrumental in fueling China's energy sector and high-tech industries.
Jiangsu
Jiangsu Province, though not rich in raw minerals, is key to critical materials through advanced manufacturing, renewable energy technologies, and innovations in recycling and supply chain resilience.
Jiangxi
Jiangxi Province is rich in rare earths, tungsten, and copper, making it vital to China’s electronics and renewable energy supply chains, with growing investment in extraction and processing capabilities.
Jilin
Jilin Province, in northeast China, is gaining ground in the critical minerals market with notable rare earth and graphite reserves, supporting high-tech and clean energy through sustainable extraction and processing.
Liaoning
Liaoning Province, rich in magnesite and boron, is building on its industrial legacy by shifting towards cleaner, more sustainable mining and processing to support China’s evolving manufacturing base.
Ningxia
Ningxia, in north-central China, is developing its critical minerals sector, especially coal, rare earths, and lithium, while promoting eco-friendly mining to support energy and renewable technology growth.
Qinghai
Qinghai Province, on the Tibetan Plateau, holds vast lithium reserves vital for batteries, playing a key role in supporting electric vehicles and energy storage within China’s renewable energy push.
Shaanxi
Shaanxi Province, rich in coal, petroleum, and natural gas, is also developing rare earth resources, making it a key player in China’s energy mix across both traditional and renewable sectors.
Shandong
Shandong Province, a major economic hub in eastern China, is rich in minerals like gold, graphite, and key metals, supporting the country’s technology and manufacturing sectors.
Shanghai
Shanghai, China’s financial and tech hub, isn’t a source of raw minerals but plays a crucial role in the critical minerals value chain via advanced manufacturing, R&D, and global trade.
Shanxi
Shanxi Province, in northern China, is a major coal producer with a long-standing energy role. Recently, it has begun diversifying into critical minerals, including rare earth elements, to support broader industrial needs.
Sichuan
Sichuan Province, in Southwest China, holds key critical minerals like lithium and vanadium, essential for batteries and steel. It also leads in hydroelectric power, reinforcing its role in China’s energy and materials landscape.
Tianjin
Tianjin plays a key role in China’s critical minerals supply chain, leveraging its major port and advanced manufacturing to process, refine, and develop high-tech materials, despite not being a mining centre.
Tibet
Tibet Autonomous Region, with its vast, rugged terrain and sensitive ecological landscape, holds major reserves of lithium, copper, and gold, key to electronics, renewable energy, and jewellery industries.
Yunnan
Yunnan Province, in southwest China, is renowned for its biodiversity and rich deposits of critical minerals, including tin, copper, and rare earth elements, essential for the electronics and renewable energy sectors.
Zhejiang
Zhejiang Province, a key economic hub on China’s east coast, leads in advanced manufacturing and plays a vital role in processing critical materials despite limited raw mineral resources.
Hong Kong
Hong Kong, a global financial and logistics hub, plays a strategic role in the critical minerals value chain through trade, investment, and corporate services supporting high-tech and energy transition sectors.
Macao
Macao, known for its tourism economy, is exploring diversification into innovation and technology, with emerging interest in supporting critical minerals research, green finance, and sustainable urban development.
Meet the Critical Minerals team
Trusted advice from a dedicated team of experts.
Henk de Hoop
Chief Executive Officer
Beresford Clarke
Managing Director: Technical & Research
Jamie Underwood
Principal Consultant
Ismet Soyocak
ESG & Critical Minerals Lead
Rj Coetzee
Senior Market Analyst: Battery Materials and Technologies
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