China Expands Gold Vault Network and Strategic Mineral Classification

Firms such as Zijin Mining – China’s largest gold processor – and Shandong Gold Mining were also expected to expand “faster than most of their global peers” after Beijing reclassified gold from a financial asset to a “strategic mineral” in 2025, the report said.

“If you are trading in renminbi, there’s always a question as to how you are going to use the renminbi,” said Charles Chang, greater China lead for corporate ratings at S&P Global. “But if that renminbi is convertible to gold, then that’s a potentially different picture. Gold is tradeable. It is usable in a lot of places.”

Alongside the launch, the SGE listed two new yuan-denominated gold contracts, which can be settled through either physical delivery or cash transfer.

Other cities under consideration for China’s vault network included gold trading hubs such as Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Dubai, Riyadh and Moscow, the report said.

“The network offers connectivity to the world’s largest physical gold market,” Chang said. “It could also attract countries looking to diversify, onshore or nearshore their gold storage to enhance control.”