While encouraging the development of the mining industry in the Greater Khingan Range, the country's largest virgin forest, local authorities are promising that they will do their best to minimize environmental damage.

Zhou Yaming, deputy director of the Department of Land and Resources of Heilongjiang province, said that by the end of 2016 minerals, including 1 million tons of copper and 150 tons of gold, will be added to the region's total mineable reserves.

"All the mineral exploitation must meet the standards of environmental protection because a virgin forest is a fragile ecosystem," said Chen Xingshi, deputy chief engineer of the Geology and Mineral Resources Exploration Bureau of Heilongjiang province.