At China Mining 2026, Dr. Lü Guo in Dialogue with Lawyer Cao Xusheng: How Chinese Miners Secure Their Global Footing

Suntrans founder Dr. Lü Guo and Cao Xusheng, senior partner at Jingshi Law Firm, met at the 2026 (28th) China Mining Conference for a deep dialogue on going global. Their core thesis: going global is not just about resources — it rests on three lines of defence: professionalism, rule of law and safety.

01 Don’t worship AI: Dr. Lü found AI fluency is often an illusion — terms like Mineral Resources, Indicated Resources and Inferred Resources are routinely mistranslated; in legal settings AI even fabricates non-existent cases, data and lawyer profiles. Lawyer Cao noted that fewer than 20 people in China truly qualify as mining lawyers.

02 Going global is accelerating, but so is change: in six years, Chinese-registered firms in Kazakhstan rose from ~300 to 1,800+; ~20 African and ~12 Asian countries tightened raw-ore exports; Indonesia announced (Aug 2026) a minerals exchange launching Jan 2027; the US expanded its critical-minerals list from 50 to 60 (Nov 2025). Overseas safety and compliance costs are rising.

03 Three lines of defence: first, put key links in the hands of real experts — geological reports, legal documents and cross-border negotiations must be vetted by seasoned practitioners; second, move dispute resolution upstream via mediation — China’s first mining mediation committee (Hainan Heshun) was established in July, with Cao as director and Lü as appointed mediator; third, band together and leverage embassies.

04 Higher vantage, wider road: mineral resources are unevenly distributed; no country is self-sufficient. Globalisation is inevitable. Dr. Lü applies a “community with a shared future” mindset to defuse negotiation deadlocks; Lawyer Cao submits research to the state. For going-global miners: profit is the base, the rule of law is the safeguard, and vision is the ceiling.

In closing: professional judgement cannot be outsourced to AI; disputes should be mediated before they erupt; safety and compliance are non-negotiable. Beyond resources, professionalism, rule of law and safety are the three lines of defence that decide how far a company goes.