中国の鉱物資源需給と輸出入形態

抄録

The changes of the supply and demand of nonferrous metals including copper, lead and zinc from 1963 to 1996 in China are investigated based on the commodity statistics. These trends are correlated with the changes of the social and economic affairs in China. The mine production and refined metal production of these metals have been rapidly increasing since the middle of the 1980′s when the Chinese government carried out the administrative reform to organize the China National Nonferrous Metals Industry Corporation (CNNC) in 1983 and established the [China Law of Mineral Resources] in 1986. Much of lead and zinc produced have been exported, while copper has been deficient for the domestic demand in spite of the increasing production and the deficiency has been made up by import. The recent way of the foreign trade of nonferrous metals seen in China is characterized by the import of raw materials such as ores and concentrates (and scraps in case of copper) and by the export of primitively processed products such as refined metals. Although the mineral resource development has been promoted in China, there exist some problems on the actual spots. The Chinese nonferrous industries seem to lag behind in the respects of renewal of facilities, environmental conservation, etc. The illegal and disordered activities of the local mining groups are also a serious problem from viewpoints of mineral resource management and environmental conservation. The Chinese government has been performing an extensive reformation of national companies since 1993 to form modern industries and, in parallel with this, has issued some policies for the introduction of foreign capitals. The Japanese funds and advanced technologies are expected to contribute to the progress of the Chinese industries.