The 2016 China Mining Congress and Expo was held at the Meijiang Convention Center in Tianjin on September 23. It was focused on dealing with challenges facing the mining industry and promoting stable development in the international mining industry.

Jiang Daming, president of the 2016 China Mining Organization Committee, stressed that the world mining industry is currently in depression and investment is in a downturn. Countries should seize the industrial and scientific opportunities to expand into new development areas in the world economy.

A visitor to 2016 China Mining enters an underground mine through virtual reality technology on September 23. [Photo/Xinhua]

At the beginning of September, 2016, Chinese president Xi Jinping's speech at the G20 summit offered the world mining industry a strong direction.

Jiang Daming said the mining industries of different countries are connected with each other and China will maintain a transparent policy environment and create a partners’ exchange platform to improve the international mining cooperation system.

The Hon. Mosebenzi Joseph Zwane, Minister of Mineral Resources of South Africa, said China should be respected for its contribution to world peace and South Africa will maintain friendly relations with China. He also welcomed Chinese enterprises to invest in South African mining industries.

Attendees look over mining equipment. [Photo/Xinhua]

During the congress, four forums – one a thesis forum, the others on mining industry development, China-Africa mining investment and cooperation, and national geological surveys -- together with 26 seminars and 17 company promotional conferences, were held.

The event was sponsored by China's Ministry of Land and Resources, the Tianjin People's Government and the China Mining Association. More than 7,250 government officials, experts and mining enterprises delegates from 53 countries and regions attended the event.

China has become the biggest producing, consuming and trading country of minerals in the world. In the past five years, the country's geological exploration investment reached 568.2 billion yuan ($85.2 billion) leading to discovery of more than 730 medium and large ore fields.