China will strengthen cooperation with Pacific island countries in the fields of mineral energy and new energy.

China Government WebsiteOn June 6, State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi accepted an interview with central media after concluding his visit to the Pacific islands. The main points related to mining are: first, China will leverage its advantages in new energy and renewable energy to assist island countries in promoting green and low-carbon transformation. Second, China will actively respond to the voices of island countries to expand cooperation with China in mineral energy, trade, and investment, broaden market access for island countries, and help them better share the dividends of the Chinese market.

From January to May, China's imports of crude oil, coal, and natural gas decreased in volume while prices increased, and the import volume and price of iron ore both fell.

General Administration of Customs WebsiteOn June 9, according to customs statistics, in the first five months of this year, the import volumes of crude oil, coal, and natural gas decreased while prices increased, and the import volume and price of iron ore both fell. Specifically, from January to May, China imported 217 million tons of crude oil, a decrease of 1.7%, with an average import price of 4,463 yuan per ton, an increase of 55.6%; coal 95.955 million tons, a decrease of 13.6%, with an average import price of 1,018.2 yuan per ton, an increase of 105.3%; natural gas 44.911 million tons, a decrease of 9.3%, with an average import price of 3,815.3 yuan per ton, an increase of 70.3%. During the same period, iron ore imports totaled 447 million tons, a decrease of 5.1%, with an average import price of 789.6 yuan per ton, a decrease of 28.1%.

Key cities in revolutionary old areas will strengthen and expand clean energy and non-ferrous metal industries.

National Development and Reform Commission WebsiteOn June 7, the National Development and Reform Commission issued the "Work Plan for Pairing Cooperation in Key Cities of Revolutionary Old Areas," with main points related to mining: first, in conjunction with pairing cooperation, actively support key cities in revolutionary old areas to enhance the construction of energy, water conservancy, and other infrastructure projects. Second, on the basis of ecological protection, support revolutionary old areas to utilize coal mining subsidence areas, open-pit mine spoil grounds, and closed mining areas to build wind and solar power generation bases. Third, in conjunction with pairing cooperation, actively support key cities in revolutionary old areas to strengthen and expand clean energy and non-ferrous metal industries.

Gansu Province is making every effort to resolve the issues of 112 mines being suspended.

Ministry of Natural Resources WebsiteOn June 6, Gansu Province issued the "Work Plan to Assist Mining Enterprises in Overcoming Difficulties and Accelerating Resumption of Work and Production," making every effort to resolve the issues of 112 mines being suspended, accelerate the development of mineral resources, and promote enterprises to resume work and production as soon as possible. The plan proposes: first, by the end of June, the resumption rate of mines in the province should reach 30%, by the end of September 50%, and strive for all to resume by the end of December. Second, focus on coal, gold, iron, and other advantageous minerals in Gansu Province to increase the guarantee of mineral products. Third, the Gansu Provincial Department of Natural Resources is responsible for guiding enterprises in verifying reserves, compiling the "three-in-one" plan, and evaluating and disposing of mining rights transfer income, while the Gansu Provincial Forestry and Grassland Bureau and local governments are responsible for coordinating enterprises to verify the relationship between mining rights and the location of natural protected areas.Fourth, standardize the resource development behavior of enterprises. For those that have not started construction or production for a long time, local governments will conduct interviews, propose rectification requirements, and set deadlines for rectification; for those who do not fulfill legal obligations and refuse to rectify without justifiable reasons, their mining licenses will not be renewed after expiration.

Fujian Province further strengthens the protection and rational development and utilization of mineral resources, standardizing the supervision and management of mineral resources.

Fujian Provincial Government WebsiteOn June 7, to strengthen the protection and rational development and utilization of mineral resources, and to standardize the supervision and management of mineral resources, the Fujian Provincial Government issued the "Fujian Province Mineral Resource Supervision and Management Measures." The measures further clarify behaviors such as illegal exploration of mineral resources, illegal mining of mineral resources, failure to fulfill obligations for geological environment protection and land reclamation, and falsifying geological data or committing fraud in geological data submission. At the same time, the measures require: first, illegal mining of sand, stone, and soil resources under the guise of temporary land use, temporary soil extraction points, land remediation, engineering construction, ecological restoration, and geological disaster management is prohibited. Second, mining rights holders should take reasonable measures to protect their legal rights within their mining areas, and if they find others exploring or mining within their mining areas, they should promptly stop and report to the local township (town) people's government, street office, and the natural resources authority of the county-level government.(town) people's government, street office, and county-level people's government natural resources authority.

The annual global energy efficiency conference is held to discuss solutions to high energy prices, strengthening energy security, and addressing climate change.

International Energy Agency WebsiteOn June 8, the International Energy Agency held the seventh annual global energy efficiency conference, attended by more than 20 energy and climate ministers from around the world. This conference focused on how to quickly take measures to improve energy efficiency, reduce dependence on fossil fuels, and promote the achievement of climate goals. At the meeting, the International Energy Agency (IEA) released a new analysis report, emphasizing the importance of energy efficiency and energy conservation in addressing high energy prices, strengthening energy security, and tackling climate change. The report pointed out that energy efficiency is a key solution to many of the world's most urgent challenges. If the current global energy intensity is doubled to 4% per year, it could potentially reduce energy consumption by 95 exajoules annually within the next decade. Meanwhile, the IEA predicts that by 2030,aboutone-third of energy demand will come from deploying more efficient equipment, and about one-fifth of energy demand will come from electrification, such as switching to heat pumps or electric vehicles.

On June 7, S&P Global Market Intelligence reported that in the first quarter of this year, the total gold production of 15 major gold producers worldwide was 7.7 million ounces, a year-on-year decrease of only 0.3%, and about 7.9% lower than the fourth quarter of 2021. Analysis shows that the two largest gold miners are Newmont Corp. and Barrick Gold Corp., with production of 1.34 million ounces and 990,000 ounces of gold, respectively, down 16.9% and 17.7% quarter-on-quarter. The main reasons for the decline in production are the pandemic, geopolitical issues, and economic conflicts. Notably, Gold Fields Ltd. had a gold production of 580,000 ounces in the first quarter, ranking fifth, but the company announced on May 31 that it would acquire Yamana Gold Inc. If Yamana's gold production is included, the total gold production of the company in the first quarter would jump to third place. Additionally, in terms of percentage, the largest quarter-on-quarter increase in production was from the third-largest producer, Agnico Eagle Mines Ltd., with a gold production of 660,000 ounces in the first quarter, a quarter-on-quarter increase of 31.6%; the largest quarter-on-quarter decrease in production was from B2Gold Corp., which saw a decrease of 31.3%.(See above).