China has discovered its first undersea gold deposit, now believed to be the largest in Asia, as Beijing accelerates efforts to secure strategic mineral resources, according to Chinese officials. The find was made off the coast of Laizhou near the Jiaodong Peninsula in Shandong province.
Local authorities said the discovery lifts Laizhou’s proven gold reserves to more than 3,900 tonnes, accounting for about 26 percent of China’s total.
While officials did not disclose the size of the offshore deposit, it adds to a series of major gold discoveries reported over the past year.
Shandong Laizhou just uncovered another huge gold deposit in underwater. This area has 3900t of gold ore, 26% of China's total reserves.
— tphuang (@tphuang) December 18, 2025
Underwater mine has 562t of high grade gold ore, but can recover 4.2g gold per ton of ore -> Can process 12k ton of ore per day for 15t of… pic.twitter.com/4ZDKM4WTHX
China last month announced a 1,444-tonne gold deposit in Liaoning and another exceeding 1,000 tonnes in the Xinjiang region. The country is the world’s largest gold producer but trails several nations in proven reserves.
Beijing has invested nearly 450 billion yuan in mineral exploration since 2021, deploying advanced tools such as artificial intelligence and satellite technology.
The push comes as global gold prices surge amid geopolitical tensions and central bank buying.
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TIPP Staff
TIPP Staff
