Be Confident in Mining Development
---Record of “Mining Ministers Forum”
Source: www.mlr.gov.cn Citation: www.mlr.gov.cn Date: Oct.23, 2014
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| (Photo by Li Zhentao) |
| Scenes of Mining Ministers Forum at CHINA MINING Congress and Expo 2014 on the morning of October 22nd |
In the morning of October 22nd, N7 major meeting room at Meijiang Convention and Exhibition Center in Tianjin were packed with audience. At 9 o’clock, Mining Ministers Forum, hosted by China Mining Association, held at Rm.N7. The forum, chaired by Mr.Wang Min, Deputy Minister of Ministry of Land and Resources, saw 10 mining ministers, vice ministers and directors of geological survey from different countries going to stage to demonstrate national mineral development advantage and potential, and carrying out heated discussions about issues like the relationship among international mineral cooperation, mining exploration and environment.
A grand stage of demonstrating national advantages
Ten Ministers and Vice Ministers participating the forum are: The Hon. Mr. Brian Gray, Assistant Deputy Minister of Natural Resources Ministry of Canada, The Hon. Mr. Robert Persaud, Minister of Ministry of Natural Resources and the Environment of Guyana, The Hon. Mr. Boubou CISS, Minister of Ministry of Industry and Mining of Mali, The Hon. Mr. Mario Alfonso Cantú, General Coordinator of Mining of Mexico, The Hon. Mr. Jorge Omar Mayoral, Secretary of Argentina Mining, The Hon. Mr. Imran Khan, General Director of Geological Survey of Pakistan, The Hon. Mr. Slawomir Brodziński, Chief Engineer of Ministry of Environment of Poland, The Hon. Mr. Ahmed Mohamed Sadig Elkarouri, Minister of Minerals of the Republic of Sudan, The Hon. Mr. Walter.K Chidakwa, Minister of Ministry of Mines and Mining Development of Zimbabwe and The Hon. Mr. Gullermo Shinno Huamani, Vice Minister of Ministry of Energy and Mines of Peru.
Showered in soft light, the stage saw ten ministers and vice ministers delivering speeches respectively. The Hon. Mr. Ahmed Mohamed Sadig Elkarouri, Minister of Minerals of the Republic of Sudan, said that CHINA MINING Congress and Expo is not only an important world congress, but provides a significant platform of studying and judging of world mineral development trend and conducting international mining cooperation.
CHINA MINING Congress and Expo has become a grand stage of demonstrating national mining exploration advantages for all of the countries. Almost each director and minister urgently demonstrated national mineral exploration advantage at the beginning of their speeches with the hope of attracting foreign investment.
“Canada welcomes every country to invest in mining by introducing plenty of incentive measures of mineral development.” said The Mr. Hon. Brian Gray in the beginning. According to his introduction, Canada not only enjoys optimal geological condition, but has preferential tax policies in mining exploration, and the Canadian government is sparing every effort in advancing free trade.
The Hon. Mr. Jorge Omar Mayoral demonstrated resource advantage of South America: copper reserve accounts for 40% of the world’s copper reserve, silver reserve 30%, zinc reserve 20% and lithium reserve more than 60%.
Peru attracted people’s attention through preferential policies. The Hon. Mr. Gullermo Shinno Huamani introduced that Peru would continue to offer more preferential policies in 15 years, and government will be immediately involved in solution if any legal problems should arise in investment. For those foreign businesses investing in Peru, the Peruvian government will not only provide many conveniences, but grant citizen treatment without any discrimination.
The reason why the ministers and directors demonstrated national mineral development advantage was that almost all of them believed that opening to the world would be beneficial. Mining industry of every country has shared sorrows and happiness, and it is universally acknowledged that the colleagues of international mining should join hands together to create mutual benefits and win-win in the spirit of activeness, pragmatism, balance and mutual benefit.
Promoting green mining model together
“Green mine construction”, a green model and sustainable development not only is the goal that Chinese government pursues, but dealing well with the relationship between resource exploration and environmental protection and harmony of community is the eternal project that every country has been exploring and striving for, as many directors and ministers said.
Located in South America, Guyana, 3% of national territorial area covered by tropical forests, has a large amount of resource such as gem, gold, diamond and bauxite , and abundant oil and gas reserves. However, the question is whether Guyana is able to preserve the tropical forests well while exploring resources.
The answer is positive. The Hon. Mr. Robert Persaud, Minister of Ministry of Natural Resources and the Environment of Guyana, was left a great impression by the speech made the day before by Mr. Jiang Daming, Minister of Ministry of Land and Resources, PRC, quoted as “I listened to the speech by Minister Mr. Jiang Daming, and he said that China not only pursues economic benefits, but is dedicated to a better and greener environment. China wants to take a path of sustainable development and has made the policy of sustainable development through technology and system innovation. It is the same with Guyana.”
A green mineral development model and low-carbon strategy made by Guyana has reconciled the contradiction between mining exploration and environmental protection of this South American country. Guyana is one of the countries in the world that have lowest forest loss rate while conducting large-scale resource exploration.
When operating mineral exploration in Poland, an enterprise is required to receive the inspection of safety of land and resources and environment, and permission must be granted by Ministry of Environment before resource exploration. In addition, as The Hon.Mr. Slawomir Brodziński introduced, a large quantity of profits resulting from resource exploration must be allocated to the local communities.
The Hon. Mr. Walter K. Chidakwa Minister of Ministry of Mines and Mining Development of Zimbabwe referred to the speech made on green development by Mr. Jiang Daming. Zimbabwe is exploring how mining exploration can be better integrated into economic and social development, including the development of regions, the country and the whole area. Mr. Chidakwa said, “We are exploring better mining development so that our residents and employees will comprehend that large-scale mining exploration not only can bring real benefits to them, but environment can also be preserved well. Furthermore, environment can be quickly restored if destroyed.”
Strengthening the Confidence in Mining Development
As the major driving force of global economy, mining industry not only shoulders the burden of stimulating economic recovery, but also is facing great pressure of transformative development. At present, however, global mining is undergoing a certain extent of adjustment and even declining, and mining product price remains low.
Among ten directors and ministers, there were new guests who participated in the congress for the first time as well as old friends. Whatever old and new friends, they all expressed their strengthened confidence in global mining development at CHINA MINING Congress and Expo, holding the belief that the fundamental trend of an upward global mining remains unchanged.
It was the fifth time that the Hon. Mr. Jorge Omar Mayoral had been to Tianjin. He marveled that it was of vital importance for Argentina to come to Tianjin to participate in CHINA MINING, and Argentina is very willing to conduct cooperation with the government, enterprises and experts in China. As an experienced insider of mining industry, he thought that it is normal to see mineral product price fluctuate in the progress of mineral development, but the lowing trend is not expected to remain too long. Mineral product price is sure to grow in the near future as history trend develops.
“Although we are facing some difficulties at present, there is no need to doubt the constant development and development trend of mining industry, which is what I want to highlight today. We should make correct evaluation about mining development on the basis of our discussion about the development trend and macro-policy of mining industry at CHINA MINING Congress and Expo.” said The Hon. Mr. Jorge Omar Mayoral.
The development goal of Poland is to free Europe from relying on mineral product export. “Poland has rich mineral resources, highly educated human resources and relatively state-of-the-art technologies. Therefore, we should take a leading role in resource exploration and geological survey in Europe Union.” said The Hon. Mr. Slawomir Brodziński.
A number of directors and ministers also indicated that China’s development by leaps and bounds not only has surprised all countries in the world, but will provide more markets for all mining manufacturing countries.
Certainly, some directors and ministers said coincidentally that we not only should see profits and incomes, but also respect the wealth left to humans by nature—recalling the history of human development and industry demand, we can easily conclude the importance of mining to development.
The forum approached an end at 12 o’clock. On behalf of the hosting country, Wang Min said in a brief summary, “Every country has expressed good wishes of attracting other countries to invest in its homeland, which makes us realize vast potential and promising future of international mining cooperation, and makes all of us profoundly feel the aspiration and resolution of enhancing exchange and deepening cooperation of international mining industry.”
(By Li Xiang) （translated by TLRHVC）
About CHINA MINING
Since first held in 1999, the scope and influence of CHINA MINING has grown rapidly year by year. As a global mining summit forum and exhibition, CHINA MINING Congress and Expo has become one of the world’s top mining events, and one of the world’s largest mining exploration, development and trading platforms, covering all aspects of the whole mining industry chain, including geological survey, exploration and development, mining rights trading, mining investment and financing, smelting and processing, mining techniques and equipment, mining services, etc. playing an active promotion role in creating exchange opportunities and enhancing mutual cooperation between domestic and foreign mining enterprises.
CHINA MINING Congress and Expo 2014 will be held at Meijiang Convention and Exhibition Center in Tianjin on November 20th-23rd, 2014. We invite you to join the event and to celebrate the 16th anniversary of CHINA MINING with us. For more information about CHINA MINING 2014, please visit: www.chinaminingtj.org.
