On the morning of June 4, 2024, Chen Dexin, President of China Minmetals, met with a delegation led by Michael W. Lodge, Secretary-General of the International Seabed Authority (ISA). The two sides conducted in-depth exchanges on strengthening cooperation in international seabed resource exploration and development.
Chen Dexin extended a warm welcome to Michael W. Lodge and expressed his gratitude to ISA for its long-term support to China Minmetals. He noted that China Minmetals is committed to building itself into a world-class metals and minerals group with global competitiveness. It owns 38 mines at home and abroad, with resource reserves of tungsten, crystalline graphite and bismuth ranking among the top in the world, and the reserves of copper, zinc, lead and antimony ranking among the first echelon in the world. As an international mining company, China Minmetals attaches great importance to ESG work and actively promotes the integration of ESG concepts with production and operation. In addition, it continuously improves ESG governance and makes great efforts to achieve common development with stakeholders such as the government, communities and partners. As the first corporate contractor of international seabed mining areas in China, China Minmetals has actively advanced work in such aspects as resource exploration, environment survey, prospecting technology and equipment R&D, beneficiation & smelting technology and international training & exchange. Due to its great efforts, it has achieved significant results. It will further strengthen communication and exchange with ISA, increase prospecting efforts, and adopt innovative modes of resource development. Besides, it will actively participate in the formulation of international seabed policies and related rules, and make continuous contributions to the sustainable development of international seabed resource exploration and development.
Michael W. Lodge thanked Chen Dexin for his warm reception and reviewed the history of long-term friendly cooperation between ISA and China Minmetals. He spoke highly of the achievements and contributions made by China Minmetals in the field of international seabed resource exploration and development. He said that since the signing of Polymetallic Nodule Mining Contract in 2017, both sides had maintained close communication and sound cooperation. In particular, the Third Annual Consultative Meeting between Contractors of International Seabed Authority hosted by China Minmetals has effectively promoted communication and exchange among contractors from different countries. In recent years, ISA has achieved positive results in optimizing its organization structure, strengthening staffing arrangements and building operation and maintenance databases, which has laid a foundation for better serving contractors from different countries. He hoped that both sides could further strengthen cooperation and exchange, expand cooperation space and deepen cooperation levels. He said that ISA would, as always, support the seabed resource exploration and development of China Minmetals.
Participants included relevant officials from ISA, as well as leaders from relevant departments and directly-managed enterprises of China Minmetals.
