In Qamdo, a prefecture in eastern Tibet, the mineral industry has been listed as a local economic pillar and is scheduled for further promotion during the 12th Five-Year Plan period (2011-2015). The construction of a nonferrous metals base will be sped up.

Qamdo is located in the well-known Sanjiang metallogenic belt, which possesses sufficient mineral resources. There are 714 mineral deposits and nearly 100 types of minerals within this prefecture, of which 52 types in six categories have proven reserves. The prefecture owns proven reserves of more than 10.3 million tons of copper and 4 million tons of lead-zinc ore.

Yulong copper mine, the largest single copper mine in China and the second largest in Asia, is under exploitation, said Urgyen Phuntsog, vice secretary of the CPC Qamdo Committee. It has more than 6.5 million tons of proven reserves and more than 10 million tons of potential reserves.

Qamdo plans to fully exploit the Yulong copper mine during the 12th Five-Year Plan period. It also plans to develop the Kamado magnesite mine and its coal resources to achieve the goal of increasing the annual output of both copper and magnesia to over 100,000 tons as well as basically setting up a nonferrous metals industrial base by 2015.