Abstract As the second largest economy in the world, China plays an important role in the global mineral resources sector. In this contribution, an overview of the minerals industry of China covers the evolution of policies, mineral rights, mineral royalties, and mineral taxation. The advantages and challenges of conducting exploration and mining in the country are discussed. With more and more international mergers and acquisitions, Chinese companies have begun to more consistently apply Western technologies and management to their domestic and overseas exploration and mining projects. Despite the controversial mineral royalty policy and increasingly strict environmental protection regulations, the government recently relaxed some other regulations to make it easier for the industry. The general trend of improving conditions for overseas investment in China’s exploration and mining industry is encouraging for international companies and investors in mineral exploration.