The Ministry of Natural Resources announced the establishment of high-purity quartz as China's 174th new mineral type on Thursday.

"High-purity quartz is an essential key material for strategic emerging industries like semiconductors and photovoltaic panels, playing a crucial role in global high-tech competition," said a spokesperson from the ministry.

The global distribution of high-purity quartz resources is uneven, and China heavily relies on imports. Discoveries of high-purity quartz deposits in regions including Henan province and Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region and the establishment of this new mineral type are crucial for promoting the localization of resources related to the high-purity quartz industry and ensuring the security of China's high-tech industry and supply chains, according to Xinhua News Agency.