Doing Business with China

The region abounds in mineral reserves. It boasts 77 per cent of the world's deposits of rare earth and its coal deposits amount to 210 billion tons, a quarter of China's total. Its reserves of gold, mica, asbestos, chromium, iron, copper , zinc, lead and salt are among the largest in the country while its natural forests account for as much as a- sixth of China's timber reserves . There are also vast grasslands, making it China's leading livestock- breeding centre .