Chinese Research Team Discovers 1000km Long Rare Earth Belt in Himalaya

Chinese geologists have discovered rare earth elements buried in the Himalayan region of the Tibet Autonomous Region (Xizang), which borders India.

According to the Hong Kong South China Morning Post (SCMP) on the 21st, Chinese geologists recently discovered a rare earth mineral belt extending over 1000 km in the southern border area of Xizang.

The research team from Wuhan University of Earth Sciences, upon confirming this, had built an artificial intelligence (AI) program since 2020, supported financially by the Chinese central government, to identify rare earth deposits on the Tibetan Plateau based on satellite data and other sources. The scientists on the team explained that the accuracy of the program and machinery reaches 96%.

China currently holds major rare earth production bases in the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, with other deposits distributed in Guangdong, Jiangxi, and Sichuan provinces. The research team believes that the rare earth reserves identified this time could be equal to or larger than those and could reset China’s position in the global market.

In the 1980s and 1990s, China’s share of rare earths was dominant at about 43% of the world’s reserves. However, industry estimates indicate that by 2021, this share had decreased to 36.7%. Rare earth resources outside China have more than doubled, increasing from 40 million to 98 million tons.

A research official explained, “The Himalayan mineral belt is located in the southern part of China’s Tibet region and connects with countries such as India, Nepal, and Bhutan. Therefore, the mineral resources within this belt have not only economic importance but also strategic significance.”

China has accelerated development of the Himalayan border area centered on Xizang’s Longzi County, a military stronghold seized during the 1962 border war with India. The AI program by the Wuhan University of Earth Sciences research team is also interpreted as part of this effort. According to previous research results supported by the Chinese government, the value of mineral resources such as gold, silver, and rare earth elements buried in this area amounts to 370 billion yuan (approximately 66.4621 trillion won).

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.