Jiangxi

Jiangxi hosts Asia's largest open-pit copper mine at Dexing (40+ km² surface area), operated by Jiangxi Copper Company—China's largest integrated copper producer. Annual refined copper production exceeds 150,000 tonnes. Jiangxi Copper raised its SolGold stake to 12.2% in 2024 ($18M investment). The 1969 discovery of ion-adsorption clay deposits made Jiangxi central to rare earth production alongside Inner Mongolia. The province accounts for 8,500 tonnes of China's heavy rare earth quota as one of six REE resource bases. Yichun hosts lithium carbonate plants where Sunwoda set up a joint venture for vertical production (lepidolite ore to lithium salts to cathode materials). Dongpeng New Materials operates a 15,000-t/yr plant in Xinyu. GDP grew 4.1% in 2023. Critical minerals (copper, lithium, rare earths) position Jiangxi as essential to China's clean energy transition.