BEIJING – China has strongly condemned President Trump’s recent executive order to expedite deep-sea mining, stating that the move “violates international law and harms the overall interests of the international community.” The order, signed on Thursday, aims to accelerate the process of granting permits for seabed mineral exploration and commercial recovery, both within U.S. waters and in international territories.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun stated that the U.S. authorization of exploration and exploitation of mineral resources on its outer continental shelf is against international law. China, while holding a significant number of exploration licenses, has so far refrained from mining in international waters, awaiting the establishment of regulations by the International Seabed Authority (ISA).
Trump’s order relies on a 1980 U.S. law, empowering the government to issue permits in international waters, a move that sidesteps the ISA, a UN-affiliated body that has been working since the 1990s to create a regulatory framework for deep-sea mining. The U.S. has not ratified the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), which established the ISA.
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The White House has defended the order as a means to reduce reliance on foreign sources, particularly China, for critical minerals. These minerals are essential for various industries, including defense, advanced manufacturing, and energy. The order also aims to counter China’s growing influence in the seabed mineral resource sector.
However, environmental groups have criticized the order, warning of potential ecological damage to fragile and largely unexplored deep-sea ecosystems. They argue that fast-tracking deep-sea mining could lead to irreversible biodiversity loss.
China’s reaction highlights the growing tensions surrounding deep-sea mining. While the U.S. seeks to secure its access to critical minerals, China, a major player in the rare earth minerals market, emphasizes the importance of adhering to international law and the ISA’s regulatory process. The legal and environmental implications of deep-sea mining remain a subject of intense debate and international concern.