Regional authorities need to strengthen feasibility studies for major projects in these sectors of the economy and issue permits in accordance with national industrial policy, the National Development and Reform Committee (NDRC) of China said in a statement.
The regulator notes that these industries are important for their economic and military potential, but their development must take into account "differences in the industrial base and resource availability of regions, as well as environmental factors."
The Chinese government will facilitate the merger of large mining companies and restructure their operations in order to increase concentration in the industry, as well as support foreign investment in the mining sector. This is stated in the NDRC statement.
China is the world's largest producer of copper and alumina. The country's authorities have repeatedly stressed the risks associated with excessive mining capacity and uncontrolled investments in these areas.
The production of refined copper in the country in January-November 2025 increased by 9.8% compared to the same period last year, reaching 13.3 million tons, which could reach a record level this year. China's alumina production reached 84.7 million tons during this period and is also likely to reach a record high in 2025.
Beijing will also continue to regulate steel production in 2026-2030 and limit new capacity increases, the NDRC said. In the first 11 months of this year, steel production in China decreased by 4%, and for the first time in six years, the annual figure may be below 1 billion tons.
