China has won the right to explore for minerals in part of the Indian Ocean as the energy-hungry country scours the world for resources to fuel its fast-growing economy, state media said Wednesday.
China
has
won the right to explore for minerals in part of the
Indian
Ocean
as the energy-hungry country scours the world for resources to fuel its
fast-growing economy, state media said Wednesday.
The International Seabed Authority has approved
China
's
application to look for polymetallic sulphides--rich in copper, iron, lead,
zinc, gold and silver--in the Southwest Indian Ocean Ridge, the China Daily
said.
China
is
the first country to win such approval in the area that divides the ocean
between
Africa
and
Antarctica
, it
said, citing the government-backed China Ocean Mineral Resources Research and
Development Association, or COMRRDA.
"The refined metals from the deposit will help
China
meet
the increasing demand for mineral resources from rapid economic
development," Jin Jiancai, secretary-general of COMRRDA, was quoted as
saying.
China
will
be allowed to explore an area measuring 10,000 square kilometers for 15 years
and will be given priority mining rights. A contract is expected to be signed
in November, the report said.
The International Seabed Authority, a U.N. body, said it approved
China
's
application for deep seabed exploration last month along with others from
Russia
and
the
Pacific
Island
nations of
Nauru
and
Tonga
.
COMRRDA also has a similar agreement to explore for polymetallic nodules--small
nuggets containing metal ore--in an area of the northeastern Pacific where a
Chinese submersible conducted the country's deepest manned dive.
The Jiaolong undersea craft--named after a mythical sea dragon--reached 5,057
meters below sea level in the test dive last month, the State Oceanic
Administration said.
China
has
pushed hard in recent years to obtain oil, minerals and other resources needed
to fuel its growth, and has said its submersible program is aimed at scientific
research, peaceful exploration and the use of natural resources.
Scientists say the ocean floors contain rich deposits of potentially valuable
minerals, but the extreme depths pose technical difficulties in harvesting them
on a wide scale.
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