The Ministry of Commerce (MOC) and the Ministry of State Land and Resources (MLR) recently jointly published a procedure on the management of foreign invested mineral exploration enterprises, which will be effective as of August 20.

    The procedure stipulates that Chinese government encourages foreign investors with mineral exploration experiences or financing ability to invest in mineral exploration. Foreign investors to go listing on overseas market with their mineral exploration achievement in China should submit file to MOC and MLR.

    The procedure also encourages foreign-invested enterprises to adopt new and high technology to engage in mineral exploration and encourages them to play a positive role in the sustainable development of mineral sector. Various commercial competent departments and land and resources administrative departments will supervise and manage the business activities of foreign investors' mineral exploration.

    Foreign funded mineral exploration enterprises can make geological exploration after they got the state-owned geological exploration.

    They should submit related documents to Chinese government and they can only enter the permitted regions to make explorations.