Russia and China will expand their cooperation in the field of geology and the use of natural resources by launching joint exploration in border areas. Among the main areas are field research, geochemical analysis, geological mapping and comparative study of the Greater Altai region.
The decision follows an agreement between Russia's Deputy Minister of Natural Resources and Ecology Dmitry Tetenkin and China's Deputy Minister of Natural Resources and President of the China Geological Survey Xu Dachun. The meeting took place during the China Mining 2026 international forum.
The two countries will create a special working group to coordinate projects in the field of geology and subsoil use. Until now, such issues have been considered mainly within the framework of broader intergovernmental mechanisms, while the new format will focus specifically on the mineral resource base and geological exploration.
According to the Russian Ministry of Natural Resources, the priority will be geological exploration of the border territories, including joint field work, scientific analysis and mapping. The project also plans to conduct comparative studies of the Great Altai, in which, in addition to Russia and China, specialists from Kazakhstan and Mongolia will participate.
The Great Altai covers cross-border areas of the four countries and is a significant area in terms of geology and mineral resources. However, so far, the Russian authorities have not announced specific estimates of potential new deposits, nor the value of future investments. Therefore, the project at this stage should be considered as a geological and scientific study, and not as a decision already made to develop specific mines.
The agreement is part of a broader deepening of Russian-Chinese cooperation in border areas. In June, representatives of Moscow and Beijing held another meeting of the joint border commission, at which the management of border areas, cooperation between control bodies, border crossings and transboundary waters were discussed. The Chinese Foreign Ministry reported at the time that the parties had reached a broad consensus on expanding cooperation in border regions.