China is Eying for Lithium Mining Near Mt Everest

China is exploring large-scale lithium mining in Tibet’s Mount Everest region after discovering what it calls its third-largest reserve, energy-reporters.com reported. The deposit, located about three kilometers from Qiongjiagang peak at 17,700–18,300 feet, holds over one million tons of lithium oxide. Scientists have warned that mining in this ecologically fragile zone could contaminate glacier-fed rivers and accelerate ice melt. The site lies just outside the Mt Qomolangma Nature Reserve. Analysts say the project tests Beijing’s environmental pledges, as high-altitude extraction could offset lithium’s green benefits and expand China’s dominance in the global supply chain.