Research on the function, scale and influencing factors of the mineral land reserves

Mineral resource is major material foundation for a country’s economic and national defense development. After entering the 21st century, the competition for mineral resources among different countries has become increasingly fierce. Developed countries represented by the United States, the European Union, and Japan have successively established strategic reserve systems for mineral resources with the goal of ensuring economic and national defense security. Currently, the development and utilization of mineral resources at home and abroad are complex and ever-changing; China’s economic development has entered a stage of rapid development, the protection and rational development and utilization of mineral resources require the establishment of a more comprehensive and scientific strategic system. It is urgent to carry out the work of mineral land reserves and improve the level of resource security guarantee. The main purpose of mineral reserves is to ensure the long-term supply security of mineral resources in China and enhance the country’s macroeconomic regulation and control capabilities. On the basis of collecting and analyzing the practices of mineral resource reserves in foreign countries, especially developed countries, this paper combines China’s mineral resource endowment, exploration results, and the needs of national economic development to carry out research on China’s mineral reserve work. This paper analyzes the role, scale, and influencing factors of mineral reserves, and believes that mineral reserves, as a form of mineral resource reserves, have the characteristics of being simple, feasible, and long-term strategic in terms of reserve methods; building a strategic reserve system for mineral resources can buy time for scientific and technological development, and when technological and economic conditions are met, further development can effectively reduce resource waste; mineral reserves can alleviate the shortage of mineral product reserves, enhance the efficiency of mineral resource utilization, and ensure the intergenerational equity of the country’s medium and long-term mineral supply and economic and social development. Therefore, the reserve of mineral resources is of great significance and is a strategic task related to national resource security and economic development.