Nine Chinese departments have released a plan aiming for gold and silver production to increase by over 5% by 2027.
According to China News Service, nine departments including the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, the National Development and Reform Commission, and the Ministry of Natural Resources jointly issued the "Implementation Plan for High-Quality Development of the Gold Industry (2025–2027)."
The "Implementation Plan" focuses on gold while also considering silver, and covers the period from 2025 to 2027. The plan states that by 2027, the capability to guarantee resources and the level of innovation in the industry chain should be significantly improved. Gold resource reserves will increase by 5%–10%, and the production of both gold and silver will grow by over 5%. A number of key common technologies and equipment will see breakthroughs, and the supply capability of high-end gold and silver materials for new generation electronics, aerospace, high-end medical devices, and new energy sectors will be significantly enhanced.
The "Implementation Plan" specifies nine key tasks, including boosting domestic resource reserves and production, strengthening breakthroughs in key technologies and equipment, improving the supply level of high-end products, enhancing the green and efficient utilization of resources, guiding enterprises to become stronger and larger, raising safety production standards, accelerating digital transformation and upgrades, reinforcing the role of standards, and deepening overseas investment and cooperation.
The plan also calls for solid advancement of a new round of strategic actions for breakthroughs in mineral exploration, intensified geological exploration of mineral resources, strengthened gold resource exploration in key western regions, and promotion of deep and peripheral exploration in existing large and medium-sized mines. The protective development of key gold and silver mines should be accelerated.
China's gold industry has developed rapidly and has become the world's largest producer and consumer of gold. In 2024, China’s mine-produced gold reached 377 tons, maintaining its global lead for 18 consecutive years; gold consumption reached 985 tons, ranking first in the world for 12 consecutive years.