To thoroughly implement guiding principles contained in General Secretary Xi Jinping's important instructions on building a strong maritime nation, with the support of the National Science and Technology Plan, the Environmental Impact Statement for Individual Tests of Deep-Sea Polymetallic Nodule Mining Vehicle in Block A-5 of the China Minmetals Polymetallic Nodule Contract Area, led by Changsha Research Institute of Mining and Metallurgy Co., Ltd., a subsidiary of China Minmetals, was successfully reviewed by the Legal and Technical Commission and deliberated by Council of the International Seabed Authority (ISA) in recent period. A formal letter of notification from the Secretary-General of the ISA was received on May 16, 2025. This statement, China's first and the world's fifth approved environmental impact statement for deep-sea mining, signifies a major step. Its approval demonstrates China's compliance with international law for deep-sea mining tests in international waters, laying a solid foundation for future deep-sea resource development. 

Changsha Research Institute of Mining and Metallurgy Co., Ltd. has actively established normalized communication and immediate response mechanisms with all parties to achieve efficient transmission of review information. These mechanisms have ensured precise efforts for each review process and provided science-based and reasonable responses to the issues raised. Besides, a dedicated working group has been established to clarify the division of labor among departments. The working group has also provided appropriate feedback and suggestions for modifications from respective professional perspectives. Through close collaboration across departments and subsidiaries at all levels, it has provided strong support for the statement's approval. The approval of the statement not only provides legal protection for China Minmetals to launch individual tests of mining vehicles, but also provides reference for the subsequent approval of relevant statements in China.