China is weighing the possibility of launching lithium mining operations in one of the planet’s most ecologically delicate regions near Mount Everest ,after uncovering what officials describe as its third-largest reserve of the mineral.
The discovery, located at an altitude of nearly 18,000 feet on the Tibetan Plateau, is estimated to hold more than a million tons of lithium oxide. The site lies roughly three kilometers from Qiongjiagang peak and just outside the Mt. Qomolangma Nature Reserve, placing it in one of the most fragile ecosystems on Earth.
Geologists in Beijing have hailed the finding as a breakthrough that could further cement China’s dominance in the global lithium market a crucial element for batteries powering electric vehicles and renewable energy storage systems. They claim the deposit’s hard-rock spodumene resembles high-grade reserves found in Australia.
Yet, environmental scientists and Tibetan observers warn that mining at such altitude would come at a steep ecological cost. The Everest region’s glaciers feed major rivers across Asia, and any disruption or contamination from mining could threaten water systems that sustain billions of people downstream. The region is already under stress from accelerated glacier melt, permafrost thaw, and rising temperatures.
Critics say the project exposes the contradiction in China’s “green energy” ambitions. Lithium is central to the global shift toward renewable power, but the extraction process itself especially in oxygen-thin, icy terrain demands immense energy, releasing significant emissions and creating toxic waste. The irony is clear: a mineral meant to enable climate solutions may further erode the planet’s stability.
President Xi Jinping has often spoken of “balancing development with environmental protection,” particularly in Tibet and Qinghai. But the proposed mining near Mount Everest will test whether those words hold weight beyond rhetoric.
Beyond environmental stakes, the discovery carries deep geopolitical undertones. As lithium becomes the “new oil” of the 21st century, controlling its supply means wielding global leverage. China already dominates the lithium refining and battery production chain, and adding another major reserve—especially in occupied Tibet could tighten its grip on the world’s energy future.
