Strangulation? It doesn't exist.

The phrase "Made in China" is no longer a novelty in the 21st century. Our country can produce almost anything, from toys and clothing to mobile phones and computers, with improving quality and affordable prices, making them highly sought after by foreigners.

However, despite the outward prosperity, there has always been a hidden concern, which is "resource dependence."

Take the steel industry as an example. Each year, our country produces more than half of the world's steel, but the iron ore needed for this production largely has to be purchased from abroad.

In 2020, our country imported over 1.1 billion tons of iron ore, with a dependency rate on foreign sources exceeding 80%. It's like running a restaurant that's very popular, but most of the ingredients for cooking have to be bought from others. If they decide to raise prices or even cut off supply on a bad day, how can your restaurant continue to operate?

Therefore, resource security is crucial to the economic lifeline of the nation and cannot be taken lightly. To address this issue, our country has been actively searching for new iron ore resources, hoping to soon achieve "secure China's rice bowl" and gain the initiative in the international market.

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Fortune favors the persistent. On October 10, 2024, an exciting piece of news came from Dezhou, Shandong: a super-rich iron ore deposit of over 100 million tons was discovered! This news caused a sensation in the entire steel industry, with netizens exclaiming "a breath of fresh air."

How impressive is this super-rich iron ore deposit in Dezhou? First, its reserves are as high as 104 million tons. What does this number mean? It's equivalent to one-tenth of the total proven iron ore reserves in our country!

Second, its average grade reaches 56.75%, and in some places, it can even reach 69%! This means that these iron ores can almost be directly put into the furnace for steelmaking without the need for complex ore dressing processes, significantly reducing production costs.More importantly, the discovery of rich iron ore in Texas has shattered the long-standing Western narrative of China being "resource-poor," proving that China has the capability to break through resource blockades and embark on a path of independent development.

From "feeling the stones to cross the river" to "precision blasting"

Many people might wonder why such a massive super-rich iron ore deposit was not discovered before. This question takes us back to the history of our country's geological exploration technology.

In the past, our country's geological exploration technology was relatively backward, mainly relying on manual exploration, which was inefficient, costly, and unable to detect many mineral deposits deeply buried underground.

However, in recent years, with the advancement of technology, our country's geological exploration technology has made rapid progress, with a continuous emergence of various advanced technologies and equipment.

For example, satellite remote sensing, ground surveying, and drilling exploration, these technologies are like performing a "CT scan" on the Earth, capable of accurately locating mineral deposits deep underground.

The discovery of the Texas rich iron ore is the result of a significant breakthrough in our country's geological exploration technology. As early as 2013, the Shandong Coalfield Geological Bureau began exploration in the area north of the Yellow River.

They reviewed a large amount of data, used satellite remote sensing technology for preliminary screening of the target area, and then conducted detailed geophysical and geochemical surveys on the ground, ultimately identifying several valuable drilling targets.

In 2015, when they were drilling in the Panshop area of Texas, they found some core samples with high iron content more than 1,000 meters underground.

This discovery excited the geologists, who immediately increased the intensity of their exploration efforts, ultimately confirming the existence of this super-rich iron ore deposit.The discovery of rich iron ore in Dezhou not only proves the progress of our country's geological exploration technology but also demonstrates the wisdom and sweat of our country's scientific and technological workers. They are like a group of "underground workers," working silently and selflessly, making a huge contribution to the resource security of our country.

Making a fortune quietly?

The discovery of Dezhou's rich iron ore undoubtedly gave a strong boost to China's steel industry and also put pressure on the old players in the international iron ore market. For a long time, a few countries such as Australia and Brazil have almost monopolized the global iron ore market. They are like "OPEC," controlling the price of iron ore and raising prices for Chinese steel enterprises at will, even implementing "supply restrictions," causing us a lot of trouble.

Now, the emergence of Dezhou's rich iron ore has broken this monopoly, giving Chinese steel enterprises more choices and allowing us to have more say in the international iron ore market. In the past, our country was always in a passive position at the international iron ore negotiation table, and we could only swallow our anger when others raised prices. Now, with Dezhou's rich iron ore as our "trump card," we can compete with those old iron ore-exporting countries.

Of course, our country is not the kind of person who "gets the benefits and still complains."

The development of Dezhou's rich iron ore is not to compete with anyone for the market, nor is it to engage in "resource nationalism," but to maintain the resource security of our country and promote the healthy development of the steel industry.

The far-sighted "national team"You might wonder, since Texas has such rich iron ore deposits, why doesn't our country hurry up and exploit them on a large scale to reclaim the "iron ore dominance" we've lost?

Don't rush, our country has always been about "planning before acting," and won't be thrown off course by temporary gains or losses. Although Texas has vast and high-grade iron ore reserves, large-scale exploitation must consider many factors.

Firstly, our country currently imports iron ore from abroad, not because we lack it ourselves, but because the iron ore prices on the international market are relatively low, and transportation costs are also low.

If our country were to exploit the rich iron ore in Texas on a large scale now, it would inevitably impact the international iron ore market, causing prices to drop, which may not necessarily be beneficial for our country.

Secondly, large-scale iron ore exploitation will inevitably cause some environmental damage. Our country now places a high emphasis on environmental protection and will not sacrifice the environment for immediate economic benefits.

Therefore, in the process of developing Texas' rich iron ore, it is essential to adhere to the concept of green development and minimize the impact on the environment.

So, for the rich iron ore in Texas, our country is currently adopting a "strategic reserve" strategy, protecting it first and then developing it when the time is right.

This is similar to our country's grain reserves, which are not used under normal circumstances, but can play a crucial role in ensuring national security in case of emergencies.

Of course, our country will not put all its eggs in one basket with Texas' rich iron ore. To ensure a long-term stable supply of iron ore, our country is also actively expanding overseas resources, strengthening cooperation with Africa, Latin America, and other regions, and establishing diversified channels for iron ore imports.

The future is promising.The discovery of rich iron ore in Dezhou is more than just a resource supplement for China's steel industry; it is also a guiding light for its development direction. For a long time, China's steel industry has been labeled as "big but not strong."

Although our country is a major producer of steel, many high-precision steel products still rely on imports.

Now, with the "ace card" of Dezhou's rich iron ore, China's steel industry can take a lighter load and focus more on technological innovation and product upgrades, striving to make the transition from "manufacturing" to "creation," and from "Made in China" to "Smart Made in China."

The road ahead for China's steel industry is still long, but we have reason to believe that under the leadership of the Party and the state, and with the joint efforts of the Chinese people, China's steel industry will be able to seize opportunities, meet challenges, and achieve a magnificent transformation from "big" to "strong," contributing to the realization of the Chinese Dream of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation!

Conclusion

The discovery of Dezhou's rich iron ore is just the beginning. In the future, China will continue to increase its exploration and development of resources, constantly strengthening its resource security capabilities, to provide a solid material foundation for the realization of the Chinese Dream of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.

At the same time, China will also actively participate in global resource governance, maintain the stability of the international resource market, share development opportunities with countries around the world, and create a better future together.