On May 23, 2018, Chairman of China Minmetals Tang Fuping met in Beijing with Michael W. Lodge, Secretary-general of the International Seabed Authority, and the two sides exchanged opinions on the issues related to exploration and development of seabed resources.
Tang Fuping welcomed the visit of the party led by Michael W. Rocky and thanked the International Seabed Authority for its strong support all the time. He pointed out that China Minmetals has the core business of metal mining, runs the whole industrial chain from mine acquisition to exploration, design, construction, mining, mineral processing, smelting, logistics, and trade, and boasts strong competitiveness in China in terms of the operation scale, product variety, and technological level.
Tang Fuping briefed the guests on China Minmetals’s exploration in the international seabed mining area. He pointed out that in August 2017, China Minmetals’s firs survey voyage started in Qingdao, China, and took 95 days. The large amount of data obtained through the voyage meant a solid step towards the five-year exploration target and maritime investigation will be continued this year. He said that China Minmetals is an important seabed exploration and development force, with the will and the ability to promote the commercial development of seabed mining, and the Corporation hoped to engage extensively in the preliminary technical discussions and exchanges.
Michael W. Lodge introduced the recent work progress of the International Seabed Authority and thanked China Minmetals for its technical support as a contractor of the exploration rights in the mining area. He expressed his appreciation for the exploration achievements made by China Minmetals. He hoped that China Minmetals could provide valuable suggestions for the formulation of the regulations regarding international seabed mineral resources development and contribute to the development and utilization of international seabed resources.
The two sides also exchanged views on such professional issues as the financial model and ore value assessment involved in the regulations about the development of international seabed mineral resources.
Cai Yongsheng, a legal affairs officer of the International Seabed Authority, Liu Yang, Director of the Division of Oceanography under the Department of Treaty and Law of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the leaders of relevant departments of the headquarters of China Minmetals and Changsha Research Institute of Mining & Metallurgy Co., Ltd. including Xing Yan, He Fayu and Zhang Baozhong, also attended the meeting.
