China has strongly condemned a new move by the United States to fast-track deep-sea mining, accusing Washington of violating international law and threatening the integrity of global ocean governance. The criticism follows an executive order signed by President Donald Trump to accelerate the approval of permits for seabed mineral exploration in both domestic and international waters.
In a sharply worded statement on Friday, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said the US decision “violates international law and harms the overall interests of the international community.” He also accused the US of taking a unilateral and hegemonic stance that undermines years of collaborative regulatory efforts led by the International Seabed Authority (ISA), a UN-affiliated body responsible for governing mining activities in international waters.
The United States has never ratified the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, which underpins the ISA’s authority, and has therefore remained outside its jurisdiction. Nonetheless, Trump’s order seeks to position the US as a global leader in deep-sea mining, directing the Department of Commerce to expedite seabed exploration licenses within 60 days. The order also frames the move as a strategic counter to China’s dominance in critical mineral supply chains.
China, which holds more seabed exploration licenses under the ISA than any other country, has so far refrained from launching deep-sea mining operations, awaiting a formal regulatory framework from the ISA. The country warned against any attempt to bypass the authority. “No country should bypass the International Seabed Authority and international law and arbitrarily authorise exploration and development activities,” Guo said in response to questions from the media.
Environmental groups also expressed alarm over the new US policy, warning that fast-tracking seabed mining could devastate marine ecosystems. “Trump is trying to open one of Earth’s most fragile and least understood ecosystems to reckless industrial exploitation,” said Emily Jeffers, an attorney at the Center for Biological Diversity.
Despite such concerns, the Trump administration claims the move could generate up to $300 billion in GDP over a decade, create 100,000 jobs, and help secure critical minerals such as cobalt, copper, nickel, and manganese, which are vital for defence and renewable energy technologies.
Canadian firm The Metals Company, which recently shifted its mining ambitions toward US jurisdiction, welcomed the order, calling it a major step toward asserting America’s role in a strategic sector. Meanwhile, the ISA is under growing pressure to finalise a long-delayed regulatory framework that balances mineral extraction with environmental protection.
As tensions rise between Washington and Beijing, the dispute over seabed mining is emerging as the latest flashpoint in a broader contest for control over critical global resources.
