More Exploitation: China Discovers Vast Lithium Reserves in Occupied Tibet to Power its EV Demands
By Tenzin Chokyi
DHARAMSALA 15, Jan: China has become the world’s second-largest lithium reserve holder following its breakthrough in lithium extraction amidst the growing concern to sustain China’s supply chain to leverage its position as the world’s largest producer of electric vehicles(EVs).
According to a recent report by the China Geological Survey under the Ministry of Natural Resources, the extraction identified more than 30 million metric tons of new lithium ore, which has boosted China’s global reserves share from 6 per cent to 16.5 per cent, raising its global ranking from sixth to second place after Chile.
While China’s efforts to expand EV charging infrastructure and secure lithium supplies are key to its clean energy goals, the growing lithium boom in many of its occupied areas introduces environmental and ethical concerns.
Earlier in 2024, a report by the Turquoise Roof, a new research network of digitally connected specialists, revealed China’s lithium boom taking place in Kham and Amdo Province of occupied Tibet in present-day Sichuan province, which involves high-risk and energy-intensive forms of processing in the seismically active and heavily securitised landscape of the world’s highest and largest plateau: the epicentre of climate change.
Notwithstanding the concerns from the global community, China’s recent breakthrough has reportedly located 10 million tons of brine lithium ores in Qinghai provinces which again includes a substantial area of Kham and Amdo province of the then independent Tibet.
Wang Denghong, a senior scientist at the China Academy of Geological Science stated that the survey which was started in 2021 has led to “the discovery of a series of new types of lithium ores, including about 10 million tons of lepidolite lithium ore in Hunan province, Jiangxi and Inner Mongolia: about 10 million tons of brine lithium ore in Qinghai: and 10 million tons of spodumene lithium ore in Xinjiang”.
The hard rock lithium deposits in the Tibetan plateau remained largely unexplored due to its challenging terrain and remote locations. However, the advent of new remote sensing technology has enabled extraction in these regions. Around 3.655 tons of China’s estimated 4.047 million tons of lithium reserve are in occupied Tibet.
Tibet is often called China’s most important “strategic resource reserve base” as it serves as Asia’s water tower and contains significant deposits of copper, lithium, chromium, gold, silver, rare earth elements, and uranium- minerals that are crucial for high-tech industries and renewable energy technologies. Additionally, Tibet’s geographical position along the Himalayas, bordering countries like India and Nepal, provides China with strategic military depth, while its high-altitude plateau offers significant potential for renewable energy development through solar and wind power.
