Spring returns to the earth, everything is new, and it is also the time of the annual two sessions. The Second Session of the 14th National People‘s Congress and the Second Session of the 14th National Committee of the Chinese People‘s Political Consultative Conference will open in Beijing on March 5th and March 4th, respectively.In the past year, representatives and committee members in the field of geology and mining have gone deep into the grassroots, conducted investigations and research, and fulfilled their duties with solid footprints. In the new year, they will gather in the capital Beijing again to discuss national affairs and accumulate momentum for the high-quality development of the mining industry. What have the representatives and committee members in the field of geology and mining been concerned about this year? What opinions and suggestions will they bring at this year‘s National People‘s Congress and Chinese People‘s Political Consultative Conference?

Promote high-quality development of industries

The security guarantee of mineral resources is an important foundation for national economic security and a key support for building a modern industrial system. Especially strategic mineral resources are crucial for the development of emerging industries and are of utmost importance in ensuring resource security.

Rare earth is an important strategic resource for the country. Inner Mongolia has considerable reserves of rare earth resources, high value of associated resources, and mature rare earth mining technology, making it one of the few high-quality rare earth resources worldwide. As a worker in the field of rare earth new materials research, Yan Hongwei, a representative of the 14th National People‘s Congress and deputy director of the Magnetic Materials Research Institute of Baotou Rare Earth Research Institute, has deep thoughts on the development of the rare earth industry.

Over the past year, his research has been focused on the rare earth industry. Every month, Yan Hongwei spends 5-7 days using data programs to collect and analyze information and data on the domestic and foreign rare earth industry and its upstream and downstream.

Last year during the National People‘s Congress and Chinese People‘s Political Consultative Conference, Yan Hongwei proposed suggestions such as "Promoting the Exploration and Comprehensive Utilization of Baiyun Ebo Deposit Resources in Baotou City, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region" and "Layout of New Energy Vehicles and Other Industrial Chains in Rare Earth Resource Advantage Regions to Ensure National Industrial Security", actively providing suggestions and suggestions for protecting scarce rare earth resources in China, improving the security of the rare earth industry supply chain, and accelerating industrial scientific and technological innovation.

Promoting the research and development of rare earth new materials is an important area for achieving technological self-reliance and self-improvement. In recent years, with the joint efforts of Yan Hongwei and colleagues, the construction of Baotou Rare Earth Research Institute Hangzhou Branch has begun to take shape and has achieved certain research results in innovative material research and development.

This year‘s National People‘s Congress and Chinese People‘s Political Consultative Conference are approaching, and Yan Hongwei has focused on these aspects - deepening the reform of the scientific and technological system, attracting more social capital to invest in scientific and technological innovation, promoting the application of rare earth materials in energy storage, and building rare earth new material application bases.

Efficient utilization of mineral resources

Mineral resources are an important material foundation for economic and social development, and the exploration and development of mineral resources are related to national economy, people‘s livelihood, and national security. Promoting the comprehensive utilization of mineral resources is an important part of ensuring the safety of mineral resources.

In response to the difficulties faced by enterprises in the treatment and utilization of phosphogypsum, Chen Qianlin, a member of the 14th National Committee of the Chinese People‘s Political Consultative Conference, Vice Chairman of the Guizhou Provincial Committee of the Democratic Revolution, and President of the Advanced Technology Research Institute of Guizhou University, has given special attention.

How to fully unleash the economic value of mineral resources while minimizing resource waste, effectively reducing damage to the natural environment, and achieving green development? This has always been the topic he thinks most about. He found that there are problems in some areas such as insufficient deep processing and short industrial chains, and some chemical enterprises still lag behind in the resource utilization of industrial solid waste and the transformation and application of the latest technological achievements.

Through visits and research in Hubei, Jiangxi, and Guizhou, he gradually clarified the direction of the proposal - effective treatment of bulk industrial solid waste has become an urgent issue for high-quality economic and social development, requiring multiple measures, support, and joint solutions. He also suggested establishing standards for the treatment of bulk industrial solid waste at the national level as soon as possible and encouraging social capital to actively participate in the treatment.

Chen Qianlin stated that as a member of the National Committee of the Chinese People‘s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), he will promote the establishment of exchange platforms, engage in communication and cooperation with more experts in related fields, and make more contributions to the protection of the national ecological environment and the efficient utilization of mineral resources.

Support the transformation and development of old mining areas

The transformation and development of old mining areas is a weak point in the high-quality development of mining industry, and it is also one of the hot topics that representatives and members of the National People‘s Congress and Chinese People‘s Political Consultative Conference pay attention to.

In order to solve the problems of resource depletion, weak development of alternative industries, backward infrastructure construction, ecological restoration, and environmental debt faced by the transformation of old mining areas, the country has repeatedly introduced support policies to promote the transformation and upgrading of industries in old industrial cities and resource-based cities, and to promote the coordinated development of resource development and utilization with urban economy and society.

But with the gradual depletion of resources and the accelerated withdrawal of coal mines, the development of old mining areas also faces many new difficulties and problems. This has become an important reason for Jiang Yaodong, a member of the 14th National Committee of the Chinese People‘s Political Consultative Conference and former Vice President of China University of Mining and Technology (Beijing), to continue to pay attention to the transformation and development of old mining areas. In his view, the transformation and development of old mining areas is of great significance for promoting sustained and healthy local economic development, promoting industrial structure adjustment, improving ecological environment quality, and maintaining social stability.

At the 2023 National People‘s Congress and Chinese People‘s Political Consultative Conference, he submitted a proposal to further increase support for the transformation and development of difficult coal mining areas. Previously, he submitted proposals to support coal mining areas and industrial transformation in 2017, 2020, and 2021, all of which received high attention from relevant national departments.

The transformation and development of old mining areas is a long-term and complex process that requires the joint efforts and support of the government, enterprises, and society. Only through scientific planning, policy support, industrial innovation and other measures can sustainable development of old mining areas and improvement of people‘s well-being be achieved. Jiang Yaodong said, "As a member of the National Committee of the Chinese People‘s Political Consultative Conference, I will continue to pay attention to the transformation and development of old coal mining areas, fulfill my duties and provide suggestions, and contribute to the high-quality transformation and development of old coal mining areas, so that coal mine workers can live a prosperous and happy life.".

Cultivate more skilled craftsmen

The report of the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China pointed out that we must adhere to the principle that technology is the primary productive force, talent is the primary resource, and innovation is the primary driving force. We must deeply implement the strategies of revitalizing the country through science and education, strengthening the country through talent, and driving development through innovation, open up new fields and tracks for development, and continuously shape new driving forces and advantages for development.

Innovation drives development, and talent cultivation is the key. Du Jun, a representative of the 14th National People‘s Congress and chief technician of Hongsheng Electric Heating Company in Jiayuguan, Jiuquan Iron and Steel Group, is a frontline worker of the group and also the first "worker professor" in Gansu Province.

On the production line, Du Jun has completed more than 60 technological innovation projects, including research on welding processes for titanium plates and composite titanium plates, as well as welding techniques in harsh flue gas environments. He has put forward more than 80 rationalization suggestions and created impressive economic benefits. In 2023, he also obtained a national patent and was awarded the title of Top Leading Talent in Gansu Province.

As a "worker professor", Du Jun is most concerned about two key words: "industry" and "worker". He is also more concerned about workers and deeply understands the importance of high skilled talents for the development of the manufacturing industry.

At the 2023 National People‘s Congress and Chinese People‘s Political Consultative Conference, Du Jun mentioned in his speech that more emphasis should be placed on independent talent cultivation. Based on the requirements of industrial chain division of labor for talent types, levels, and structures, further improve talent cultivation models such as science and education integration and school enterprise cooperation, and strive to cultivate more high-quality technical and skilled talents, skilled craftsmen, and great country craftsmen.

This year, Du Jun conducted more research and reflection on the reform of industrial worker team construction and the comprehensive implementation of the eight level work system. He stated that we should not stay at the general level, but find more targeted and universal issues and suggestions at the national policy and related institutional level.

Include increasing holdings of gold in the national financial strategy

As an important strategic mineral resource, gold is an important support for national financial and economic security. China‘s gold resource endowment is poor, with fewer large gold deposits and more small and medium-sized ones. The average grade is low, and difficult to select and smelt resources account for about one-third. This means that China‘s gold resource security is insufficient. At the same time, there is a huge gap in gold demand in China, and the supply of gold resources is seriously insufficient.

In view of this, Zhong Ying, a member of the 14th National Committee of the Chinese People‘s Political Consultative Conference and a researcher at the Institute of Contemporary China Studies of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, recently proposed in an article that increasing holdings of gold should be an important component of the national financial strategy. For gold reserves, we cannot slow down the pace of holdings based on the temporary rise and fall of gold prices. Instead, we need to consider the long-term and have a strategic reserve awareness and planning.

Zhong Ying stated that currently, China has become an important world financial power, with the world‘s largest banking system, the second largest insurance, stock, and bond markets, and a stable foreign exchange reserve scale ranking first in the world. Inclusive finance is at the forefront of the world, and the financial needs of economic and social development and people‘s daily growth are constantly being met. Finance has become an important force driving economic and social development. Therefore, it should be recognized from a higher dimension that finance is the core of modern economy, with financial vitality and economic vitality; Financial stability and economic stability. Finance can assist national development with its functions, but it can also harm national security with its risks.

Zhong Ying emphasized the need to establish a timely response to financial bottom line thinking and crisis thinking, and maintain the financial security bottom line under open conditions; We need to respond to the unprecedented changes in the world today with timely bottom line thinking and crisis thinking.

Doing a Good Job in Soil Monitoring and Research

Black soil is known as the "giant panda in arable land" and is the most important grain production base and commodity grain export base in China.

The No. 1 central document in 2024 clearly pointed out that we should strengthen the promotion of black land protection projects and implement the action of improving the organic matter of cultivated land. Strengthening the coordination between the protection and utilization of black soil, building a solid foundation for agricultural development, is a major event to ensure national food security and promote the green transformation and development of agriculture.

Jiang Ming, member of the 14th CPPCC National Committee and director of the Northeast Institute of Geography and Agroecology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, has led the scientific research team to go to the countryside and visit farmers for many years to solve the difficulties and pain points in the protection of black land and contribute to safeguarding the black soil granary and ensuring national food security.

He said that in order to protect the black soil well and increase production and income for the people every year, the key is to listen to the voices of the people, conduct more field research, and carry out targeted soil monitoring and research work.

After serving as a member of the National Committee of the Chinese People‘s Political Consultative Conference last year, Jiang Ming proposed for the first time the construction of a digital simulation scientific device for black soil production capacity, hoping to evaluate soil production capacity more scientifically and accurately and promote soil fertility improvement. This year‘s National People‘s Congress and Chinese People‘s Political Consultative Conference, Jiang Ming will also put forward proposals on how to deal with the problem of black soil loss caused by straw packaging.