Modelled on the Soviet system, the Chinese industry is instead divided by function, with geological bureaux given the task of finding a deposit and turning it over to a state-owned mining company for development. Economic reforms have added small privately owned miners to the mix and made it possible for the geological bureaux to develop some mines themselves.
As a result of that system, most of China’s large mining companies know a lot about mine engineering and little about geology, and so prefer to invest in overseas projects that are already developed and close to producing.