China Y&X Beijing Technology Co., Ltd. Company News

significant market opportunities ahead. In addition to increasing copper capacity, Vale has also enhanced its nickel production capacity. Nickel, a crucial material for batteries, plays a vital role in the burgeoning electric vehicle industry. As global interest in electric vehicles and clean energy grows, so does the demand for nickel. Vale has successfully optimized its mining and processing operations to meet this growing demand.   Image source: Vale Base Metals, Phase 1 of the Salobo III Project.   Former Anglo American CEO and current chairman of Vale's Base Metals Board, Mark Cutifani, outlined a plan on Thursday that includes multi-billion dollar capital expenditures to improve productivity at nickel and copper mines and processing plants, and reduce costs. Announcing the investment plan, Cutifani stated, "We firmly believe that through continuous investment and technological innovation, we can improve productivity and efficiency, reduce costs, and meet market demand for metals such as copper and nickel." He emphasized that Vale is committed to providing high-quality products and services to its customers while actively fulfilling social responsibilities and focusing on environmental protection and sustainable development.   Last month, copper prices surged to record levels due to speculative investments betting on impending shortages, which drew a flood of speculative capital. Although copper prices have since retreated, it is widely believed that the copper market may face shortages in the coming years. The world's largest mining companies are seeking to increase production in anticipation of future price hikes.   Last year, Vale spun off its Base Metals business into an independent unit and sold a 10% stake to Saudi Arabia. The Rio de Janeiro-based metals producer has been exploring liquidity options for this business, which might include an initial public offering (IPO).   Vale expects to achieve some "early wins" through initiatives such as using its own metals to reduce idle capacity at the Sudbury mines in Canada. With an initial investment of $800 million, the company anticipates copper production to increase by 5% and nickel production by 10% by 2026 compared to forecasts from December.   Citi analysts commented in a report to clients, "This presentation was impressive... but many of the near-term concepts have been heard in past presentations." They described the Base Metals business as "a story for equity investors."   By pursuing this ambitious investment plan, Vale aims to solidify its position as a leading global supplier of essential metals, prepared to meet the challenges and opportunities of the future market.

Kamoa-Kakula Copper Mine Becomes the World's Third-Largest Copper Mine   Ivanhoe Mines announced on Tuesday that its Phase 3 concentrator at the Kamoa-Kakula copper mine in the Democratic Republic of Congo has achieved its first production of concentrate.   Ivanhoe Mines, a Canadian mining company, is advancing three major projects in Southern Africa. The Kamoa-Kakula Copper Mine project is co-owned by Zijin Mining and Ivanhoe Mines, with both being the largest shareholders. Zijin Mining is also the second-largest shareholder of Ivanhoe Mines, holding approximately 13.7% of its shares, and has a beneficial ownership of around 45% in Kamoa Copper, making it the largest beneficial shareholder.   The Phase 3 concentrator was completed roughly six months ahead of schedule. Once fully operational, it is expected to increase Kamoa-Kakula's annual copper production to over 600,000 tonnes.   The Phase 3 concentrator has a designed annual capacity of 5 million tonnes, which is 30% higher than the combined capacity of the Phase 1 and Phase 2 concentrators located 10 kilometers away.   In May, the Phase 1 and Phase 2 concentrators produced 35,474 tonnes of copper, marking the best performance in the past 12 months.   With the completion of the Phase 3 concentrator, Kamoa-Kakula has become the world's third-largest copper mine, following Chile's Escondida and Indonesia's Grasberg, and is now the largest copper mine in Africa.

What is Excellent Performance Carbon Depressant D486/D486S? D486/D486S is a specialized carbon depressant developed independently by Y&X Beijing Technology Co., Ltd. This innovative product is designed to inhibit fine carbon minerals such as graphite, organic carbon, and free carbon. It finds widespread application in the flotation of nonferrous and precious metal ores, including copper, gold, copper-gold, lead-zinc, and others. D486/D486S serves as an effective alternative to Cytec 636/633.     Principles and Effects D486/D486S operates by selectively targeting graphite, organic carbon, and free carbon. It renders the surfaces of these carbonaceous materials strongly hydrophilic. This prevents graphite or organic carbon from adsorbing reagents, competing for flotation, or covering and adsorbing on the surfaces of target minerals. Consequently, the target minerals can efficiently interact with collectors, leading to their effective recovery. This process enhances the concentrate grade and recovery rate of the target minerals while reducing the required amounts of collectors and frothers.   Detailed Information on D486/D486S Packing Specifications - Available in 25 kg bags or 750 kg bags.   Usage and Dosage - The prepared solution concentration of D486/D486S should be less than 3%. - It is added during the flotation process, typically at the mixing barrel, flotation tank, or ball mill. - Recommended dosage ranges from 50 to 1000 grams per ton of raw ore.   Preparation Method 1. Add water to the mixing bucket and start stirring. 2. Slowly add the agent to the water, ensuring it disperses fully. 3. Stir for 1-2 hours until the agent is completely dissolved in the water.   Benefits of D486/D486S in Flotation Separating graphite and organic carbon from sulfide minerals poses significant challenges due to graphite's high floatability and low hardness. Traditional processes involving decarbonization followed by flotation often result in the loss of target minerals, complications in tailings water reuse, and high operational costs.   D486/D486S offers a solution by selectively inhibiting graphite and organic carbon. This allows for the direct flotation of target minerals without the need for pre-decarbonization.   The benefits include: - Prevention of mineral loss. - Simplified reuse of tailings water. - Improved recovery rates and concentrate grades. - Reduced reagent consumption.   In summary, D486/D486S is an advanced depressant that significantly enhances the efficiency and effectiveness of the flotation process for nonferrous and precious metal ores, providing a cost-effective and environmentally friendly alternative to traditional methods.

Contents The Impact of Grinding Particle Size on Flotation Preventing and Mitigating Excessive Slimes in Grinding Pulp Why Coarse Particles Are Difficult to Float and What Measures to Take Difficulties in Flotation of Fine Particles and Measures to Take The Impact of Slimes on Flotation and Solutions   The Impact of Grinding Particle Size on Flotation Coarse particles (greater than 0.1mm) and extremely fine particles (less than 0.006mm) can negatively impact flotation effectiveness and recovery rates.   Flotation of Coarse Particles When floating coarse particles, their significant weight increases the detachment force, making it difficult for them to adhere to bubbles, resulting in metal loss and affecting the grade of the concentrate. To address this, the following measures should be taken: 1. Use sufficient amounts of the most effective collectors. 2. Increase aeration of the pulp, producing larger bubbles and more microbubbles precipitated in water. 3. Ensure appropriate agitation intensity of the pulp. 4. Increase pulp density appropriately. 5. Ensure rapid and steady scraping of bubbles during froth scraping.   Flotation of Extremely Fine Particles When floating extremely fine particles (usually less than 5-10μm), the following issues arise: 1. Fine particles easily adhere to bubbles, reducing the floatability of coarse particles, leading to poorer selectivity and separation efficiency, and lowering concentrate grade. 2. Fine particles have a large surface area, absorbing significant amounts of flotation reagents, reducing the reagent concentration in the pulp and disrupting the normal flotation process, thus lowering flotation indicators. 3. Fine particles have high surface activity, interacting easily with various reagents, making separation difficult. They have strong hydration, overly stabilizing the froth and making it difficult to concentrate, reducing the quality of the concentrate and the flowability and concentration efficiency of the froth product.   Preventing and Mitigating Excessive Slimes in Grinding Pulp To prevent and mitigate excessive slimes, the following methods are commonly used: 1. Reduce and prevent the generation of slimes by adopting multi-stage grinding processes and staged beneficiation processes. Proper selection of grinding and classification equipment and improving the efficiency of classifiers is essential. 2. Add reagents to eliminate the harmful effects of slimes, such as water glass, soda, and caustic soda, to reduce the covering and flocculation effects of slimes. To mitigate the harmful impact of slimes absorbing large amounts of reagents, consider staged reagent addition. 3. Deslime the ground ore before flotation, discarding it as tailings. If the slimes contain valuable components, they can be treated separately by flotation or sent for hydrometallurgical processing.   Common desliming methods include: -Classifier desliming. -Hydrocyclone desliming. -In special cases, add a small amount of frother before flotation to float and remove easily floatable slimes.   Why Coarse Particles Are Difficult to Float and What Measures to Take Coarse grinding can save grinding costs and reduce expenses. In flotation plants processing ores with uneven dissemination, there is a trend towards coarser grinding sizes, provided that the rougher recovery rate is ensured. However, coarse particles are heavier and harder to suspend in the flotation cell, reducing the chances of collision with bubbles. Additionally, once attached to bubbles, the large detachment force makes them prone to falling off. To improve coarse particle flotation, the following measures can be taken: 1. Use collectors with stronger collecting power and add auxiliary collectors like kerosene or diesel to strengthen coarse particle collection, increasing the attachment and adhesion strength to bubbles, reducing detachment. 2. Increase the pulp density to enhance buoyancy. Ensure stable froth layers and appropriate agitation to promote coarse particle suspension and attachment to bubbles. 3. Increase aeration to create larger bubbles and "bubble clusters" formed by large and small bubbles, which have higher buoyancy to carry coarse particles upwards. 4. Use shallow flotation cells to shorten the flotation path and reduce particle detachment. Alternatively, use specialized flotation machines suited for coarse particles, such as cyclonic flotation cells and SkimAir flotation machines. 5. Utilize rapid and steady froth scrapers to promptly remove floated froth, reducing particle detachment.   Difficulties in Flotation of Fine Particles and Measures to Take Fine particle separation in flotation is challenging due to: 1. Large specific surface area and increased surface energy, leading to non-selective aggregation between different mineral surfaces under certain conditions. Despite high reagent adsorption, selectivity is poor, making selective separation difficult. 2. Small volume reduces collision chances with bubbles. The small mass makes it difficult to overcome the hydration layer resistance between particles and bubbles, hindering attachment.   To address fine particle flotation challenges, the following measures can be implemented: 1. Selective flocculation flotation: Use flocculants to selectively flocculate target mineral micro-particles or gangue fines, then separate them by flotation. 2. Carrier flotation: Use regular flotation-sized particles as carriers to float target mineral fines. The carrier can be similar or different minerals. For example, pyrite can be used to float fine gold particles, and calcite to float micro-fine iron and titanium impurities in kaolin. 3. Agglomeration flotation, also known as emulsion flotation: Fine mineral particles treated with collectors form oil-coated froth under the action of neutral oils. The collector and neutral oil can be premixed into an emulsion and added to the pulp, or added separately into high-density pulp, agitated vigorously, then the upper froth is skimmed off. This method has been used for fine manganese, ilmenite, and apatite ores.   The Impact of Slimes on Flotation and Solutions If the flotation pulp contains excessive slimes, it negatively affects flotation in the following ways: 1. Slimes easily mix into froth products, reducing concentrate grade. 2. Slimes cover coarse particles, hindering their flotation. 3. Slimes absorb large amounts of reagents, increasing reagent consumption. 4. Slimes make the pulp viscous, worsening aeration conditions.   To solve these issues, the following measures can be taken: 1. Use dilute pulp to reduce viscosity, minimizing slime entrainment in froth products. 2. Add dispersants to disperse slimes, eliminating their harmful covering effect on other minerals. 3. Use staged reagent addition to reduce reagent consumption by slimes. 4. Deslime flotation materials before flotation.   Common desliming methods include hydrocyclone classification.   By understanding the impacts of particle size on flotation and implementing these measures, flotation efficiency and concentrate quality can be significantly improved.

How to Observe Mineral Flotation Phenomena?   The responsibilities of a flotation plant operator include maintaining the normal operation of equipment, adjusting reagents and equipment based on flotation phenomena to ensure stable and optimal flotation indices. Therefore, accurate judgment of flotation phenomena is crucial for achieving good indices. Common methods for judging the quality of flotation products include observing the foam and washing the products.   1. Observing the Foam Flotation operators adjust the amount of flotation reagents, the quantity of concentrate scraped out, and the amount of middling circulated based on their judgment of the flotation foam's appearance. The main aspects of observing flotation foam include:   (1) Solid vs. Hollow Foam is described as "solid" when the mineralization degree on the mineral surface is high, resulting in firm, substantial foam, typically seen in roughing and cleaning operations. In scavenging operations, because useful minerals have been largely floated in roughing, the foam tends to be "hollow." Reagent addition directly affects flotation foam characteristics. If reagent dosage is appropriate, the foam in the first roughing cell will be "solid." Excessive depressant or insufficient collector will result in "hollow" foam.   (2) Large vs. Small The size of bubbles on the foam layer surface varies with ore properties, reagent regime, and flotation operation. In general sulfide ore flotation, bubbles with a diameter of 8-10 cm are considered large, 3-5 cm as medium, and 1-2 cm as small. Well-mineralized bubbles are usually medium-sized, commonly seen in roughing and cleaning operations. During bubble coalescence, some large bubbles may appear to increase concentrate grade. Poorly mineralized bubbles are often large (hollow bubbles), commonly seen at the tail end of scavenging operations. In oxidized ore flotation, small and numerous bubbles might indicate low-grade rough concentrate with high recovery, whereas small, numerous, and hollow bubbles suggest both low-grade and low recovery. Hence, observing bubble size and solidity is crucial for judging flotation indices.   (3) Color Foam color is determined by the attached minerals and the water film color. For instance, in hematite flotation, the foam is brick red. Scavenging tail foam is often white (water film color). The deeper the floating mineral color in scavenging, the greater the metal loss. Conversely, the deeper the color in roughing and cleaning, the better the concentrate quality. A common but not absolute standard for clean flotation in scavenging operations is whether the foam appears white, though specific situations need detailed analysis.   (4) Luster Foam luster is influenced by the mineral's luster and the water film's sheen. The coarseness of flotation mineral particles also affects foam surface luster.   (5) Outline Mineralized bubbles in flotation often appear nearly round or elliptical due to the influences of slurry flow, bubble interaction, and the gravitational pull of surface-layer mineral particles. Freshly formed mineralized bubbles have distinct outlines, whereas bubbles on the slurry surface for extended periods have blurred outlines.     (6) Thickness The thickness of the foam layer is related to the amount of frother used and the degree of bubble mineralization. More frother, high ore grade, high concentration, and good mineralization result in a thicker foam layer, and vice versa. However, overly coarse flotation mineral particles make it challenging to form a thick foam layer. Different ore properties require varying foam layer thicknesses.   (7) Brittleness vs. Stickiness Brittle foam has poor stability and breaks easily, whereas overly sticky foam may cause "froth overflows," resulting in poor concentrate grade and transportation difficulties. Excessive frother, oil contamination, or substantial slime content in the ore can make foam sticky.   (8) Sound The sound of foam being scraped off by a scraper indicates mineral properties. Heavy minerals with coarse particles and solid foam make a "sizzling" sound when falling into the foam trough.   2. Washing Products Washing foam products or tailings with a spoon, bowl, or washing pan helps assess concentrate quality and metal loss.   3. Washing Requirements Choose appropriate washing locations and products based on the washing purpose. Determine suitable sample amounts and washing extent based on mineral content and type.   For accurate washing inspections, ensure consistency in sampling locations, sample amounts, and washing extent each time.

YX500: A Sodium Cyanide Substitute in Gold Leaching Application Range of YX500 1. Applicable Materials: YX500 finds utility across various gold-containing materials including gold, silver oxidized ores, primary ores, cyanide tailings, gold concentrates, roasting slag, and anode sludge. 2. Processes: It suits different leaching methods such as heap leaching, pool leaching, carbon slurry, and stirring leaching.   Characteristics of YX500 1. Appearance: YX500 presents as a powdery solid. 2. Dissolving Method: It dissolves readily when stirred with water at room temperature. 3. Alkalinity Adjustment: Lime or caustic soda are typically employed to maintain pH levels between 10-12. Utilization Guidelines and Precautions 1. Solution Preparation: YX500 dosage mirrors that of sodium cyanide. Concentrations vary according to ore grades and impurity contents, usually prepared at 15-20% concentration. 2. Usage Process: YX500 follows conventional sodium cyanide leaching procedures. 3. Precautions: Regular monitoring of precious and lean liquid content, pH, and YX500 concentration is recommended. pH deviations outside 10-12 range affect YX500 consumption and leaching efficiency. Minor black residue post-dissolution doesn't impair effectiveness. YX500 can be used alone or in tandem with sodium cyanide. Suitable for various leaching processes including carbon slurry and zine powder replacement. Gold recovery methods remain consistent with cyanide leaching. YX500 leach return water is recyclable. Leaching efficacy remains unaffected within 0-50°C temperature range, akin to sodium cyanide. YX500 consumption relative to sodium cyanide varies; higher for high-grade, impure, or fine gold-bearing materials, generally 1.5-3 times more.   Click here for more information about YX500!

What is Gold Leaching Reagent YX500? The Eco-Friendly Gold Leaching Reagent (hereinafter referred to as "YX500") is a high-tech product developed by Y&X Beijing Technology Co., Ltd. It has successfully replaced sodium cyanide and is extensively used in gold beneficiation and smelting processes, with fully independent intellectual property rights.   YX500 has achieved industrial-scale production and application. The developed "synergistic leaching" and "in-situ treatment" technologies ensure the standard discharge of tailings slurry while maintaining effective gold leaching indicators. These research results, appraised by the China Gold Association, are recognized for their innovation, broad market potential, and overall technology reaching the international advanced level. Specifically, the "synergistic leaching - in-situ treatment" technology has achieved an internationally leading level. YX500 can directly replace sodium cyanide without any modifications to the original cyanide process.   Reagent YX500 boasts numerous advantages, including low toxicity and environmental friendliness, high recovery rate, good stability, ease of operation, fast recovery, reduced dosage, low cost, and convenient storage and transportation. What is the Low-toxicity Gold Dissolution Principle of YX500? YX500 is an eco-friendly reagent that can substitute the highly toxic sodium cyanide. Its primary components include sodium carbonate tripolycyanate, alkaline thiourea, alkaline polymeric iron, and carbonate. During the gold leaching process, these components work synergistically to enable the cyanide group to complex and dissolve gold, thus achieving gold extraction.   The cyano-like groups (CN-) in the branched chain of carbonized sodium cyanurate are linked by covalent bonds, rather than ionic bonds as in sodium cyanide. Due to structural reasons and steric hindrance, these cyano groups typically do not decompose into free cyanide (CN-) in an alkaline environment but maintain a similar complexation ability to free cyanide. They work synergistically with other components in the product to oxidize and complex alloys.   During synthesis, some side reactions can result in a small amount of cyano group presence in the product. This minimal amount of cyanide (CN-) is the main reason why YX500 is non-toxic or low-toxic to humans and other organisms despite its detectability.   YX500 contains a small amount of water-insoluble substances (≤3%), primarily iron-containing oxides. The presence of iron oxide helps further stabilize carbonized sodium cyanurate, making it more stable under normal conditions. Therefore, after YX500 is fully dissolved, a small amount of black slag at the bottom is normal and does not affect the gold-dissolving capability of the product. On the contrary, it enhances the product's safety performance.   Click here for more information about YX500!  

Flotation processes are essential methods for separating copper and gold from copper-gold ores. Depending on the characteristics of the ore, these processes primarily include the flotation of sulfide copper ores and the flotation of oxide copper ores. Common primary oxide copper minerals include malachite (CuCO3-Cu(OH)2, containing 57.4% copper) and azurite (2CuCO3·Cu(OH)2, containing 55.2% copper), followed by chrysocolla (CuSiO3·2H2O, containing 36.2% copper) and cuprite (Cu2O, containing 88.8% copper).   1. Sulfidation Method The sulfidation method is the most common flotation method for oxide copper ores. It is suitable for most oxidized copper ores that can be sulfidized. Sulfidized oxide ores exhibit properties of sulfide ores and can be floated using xanthate.   Usage of Sulfidizing Agents: Sodium sulfide is used at a dosage of 1-2 kg/t (of raw ore). Sodium sulfide and other sulfidizing agents oxidize easily, have short action times, and the formed sulfide films are unstable and can easily detach under intense agitation. Therefore, it should be added in batches directly into the first flotation cell. Pulp pH Control: The sulfidation rate increases as the pulp pH decreases. The pH is usually maintained around 9, and lime can be added if necessary. Collectors: Butyl xanthate or a mixture of black and yellow collectors is commonly used. Dispersants: When there is a high amount of slime, a dispersant such as water glass is used.   2. Organic Acid Flotation Method Organic acids and their soaps can effectively float malachite and azurite. However, this method is less selective when the gangue contains a large amount of carbonate minerals, making it difficult to improve the concentrate grade.   Applicability: Suitable for ores where the gangue minerals are not carbonate. The flotation performance deteriorates when the gangue contains a significant amount of floatable iron and manganese minerals. Auxiliary Reagents: Sodium carbonate, water glass, and phosphates are typically added as gangue inhibitors and pulp regulators.   3. Leaching-Precipitation-Flotation Method When neither the sulfidation nor the organic acid methods achieve satisfactory results, the leaching-precipitation-flotation method is used.   Process Flow: The oxide copper ore is first leached with sulfuric acid, then copper is precipitated using iron powder, and the precipitated copper is subsequently floated. Leaching Conditions: The leach solution is a 0.5%-3% dilute sulfuric acid solution, with acid consumption varying between 2.3-45 kg/t (of raw ore) depending on the ore's properties. For refractory ores, leaching can be performed at elevated temperatures (45-70°C). Flotation Conditions: Flotation is carried out in an acidic medium using cresol black or double xanthate as collectors.   4. Ammonia Leaching-Sulfide Precipitation-Flotation Method This method is suitable for ores with a high content of alkaline gangue, where acid leaching would be too costly. Process Flow: After fine grinding, the ore is treated with sulfur powder and ammonia leaching. The copper ions in the oxide copper ore form complexes with NH3 and CO2 while being precipitated by sulfur ions into new sulfide copper particles. Ammonia is then evaporated and recovered, followed by sulfide copper flotation. Pulp pH Control: The pulp pH is maintained between 6.5 and 7.5. Flotation Reagents: Standard flotation reagents for sulfide copper ores are used.     5. Segregation-Flotation Method This method is used for refractory oxide copper ores, particularly those with a high slime content and combined copper accounting for more than 30% of total copper.   Process Flow: The appropriately sized ore is mixed with 2%-3% coal powder and 1%-2% salt, then subjected to chloridizing reduction roasting at 700-800°C. The resulting copper chloride volatilizes from the ore and is reduced to metallic copper within the furnace, which is then adsorbed onto coal particles. These particles are subsequently separated from the gangue via flotation. Applicability: Suitable for ores with high chrysocolla and cuprite content. This method is advantageous for comprehensive recovery of gold, silver, and other rare metals compared to the leaching-flotation method. Drawbacks: High energy consumption and costs.   6. Flotation of Mixed Copper Ores The flotation process for mixed copper ores should be determined based on experimental results. The process can either involve simultaneous flotation of sulfide and oxide copper minerals after sulfidation or sequential flotation where sulfide minerals are floated first, followed by sulfidation and flotation of oxide minerals. The amounts of collectors and sulfidizing agents should be adjusted according to the oxide content in the ore.   Conclusion The choice of flotation process for copper-gold ores depends primarily on the specific characteristics and mineral composition of the ore. The sulfidation method is suitable for most oxide copper ores, while the organic acid method is preferable for ores without carbonate gangue minerals. The leaching-precipitation-flotation method is used when other methods are ineffective. The ammonia leaching-sulfide precipitation-flotation method is suitable for ores with high alkaline gangue content, and the segregation-flotation method is applicable for refractory oxide copper ores. Optimizing the flotation process and reagent regime through testing can achieve the best recovery rates and economic benefits.

SHENZHEN -- China's southern metropolis of Shenzhen reported a total cross-border e-commerce foreign trade volume of 326.53 billion yuan (about $45.96 billion), up 74.4 percent year-on-year, the municipal bureau of commerce said on Saturday. Data shows that the number of cross-border e-commerce export enterprises in Shenzhen now exceeds 150,000, accounting for almost half of Chinese sellers on platforms including Alibaba.com, AliExpress, Lazada, and eBay, and one-third of Chinese sellers on Amazon come from Shenzhen. With a sound policy system and superior business environment, Shenzhen has attracted well-known domestic platforms, such as Douyin, JD Worldwide, and Alibaba, as well as their foreign peers, to increase their investment there. Amazon launched its world's first innovation center in Shenzhen in December last year. Mercado Libre, the largest e-commerce platform in Latin America, will soon set up its China headquarters in the metropolis. As of November 2023, the area of the overseas warehouses constructed and operated by Shenzhen enterprises had exceeded 3.8 million square meters, an increase of about 1 million square meters compared with 2022. Up to now, Shenzhen has 16 freight ports and 11 customs supervision places and bonded areas for cross-border e-commerce business, which strongly supports the expansion and increment of cross-border e-commerce economy.

Experts say consumption will remain primary driver of economy in 2024 China's economy is set to maintain robust and steady growth in 2024 as domestic demand further recovers, driven by ramped-up macroeconomic policy support and the deepening of industrial upgrading, senior experts said. Consumption will remain a primary growth driver this year, while the investment outlook is expected to improve, countering potential lingering pressures on exports, they said. Wang Yiming, vice-chairman of the China Center for International Economic Exchanges, said consumer spending is poised to further expand this year, building on the post-COVID rebound in 2023. In the first three quarters of last year, consumption accounted for 83.2 percent of the nation's economic growth. Supporting the continued recovery in consumer spending would be the acceleration of new forms of consumption, including in the digital economy, green industries, healthcare and smart homes, said Wang, who is also a member of the Monetary Policy Committee of the People's Bank of China, the country's central bank. Traditional consumption areas such as vehicles and electronics are also expected to see a resurgence as a stabilizing economy boosts people's incomes and expectations, he said, adding that policy initiatives would also promote the recovery. "I believe there is scope for intensifying fiscal policy support," Wang said, adding that the central government may moderately increase debt levels and implement structural tax cuts as its leverage ratio remains relatively low compared with other major economies. The efforts to promote a modern industrial system would help form a virtuous cycle between consumption and investment, while the country's increasingly diverse export markets and emerging export advantages in new energy sectors will help offset lukewarm global demand, said Zhang Xiaoqiang, executive vice-chairman of the China Center for International Economic Exchanges. "China has the capacity to achieve economic growth around 5 percent in 2024 while maintaining the momentum of high-quality development," said Zhang, who is also a former deputy head of the National Development and Reform Commission. The tone-setting Central Economic Work Conference, which was held in December, highlighted expanding domestic demand as a focus in 2024, calling for efforts to intensify macroeconomic policy adjustments, tap consumption potential and expand effective investment. China's economy staged a rebound last year as activity normalized from disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, and it expanded by 5.2 percent in the first three quarters, yet supply has recovered faster than demand, making insufficient demand a weak link of the economy. Mostly dragged by the decline in new market orders, the country's official purchasing managers index for the manufacturing sector fell to 49 in December from 49.4 in November, indicating that factory activity has contracted for the third consecutive month, the National Bureau of Statistics said on Sunday. Lan Zongmin, a researcher at the Development Research Center of the State Council, said the Chinese economy is likely to see a more balanced recovery between supply and demand this year as policymakers attach more emphasis to bolstering demand, with the deepening of industrial upgrading to further anchor investment growth. Infrastructure investment in the areas of technological advances and carbon reduction will likely speed up, and manufacturers' equipment upgrade and growing capacity in emerging industries would bolster investment in the sector, Lan said, adding that investment activity in the real estate sector is projected to stabilize. In an article published on Monday in Qiushi Journal, the flagship magazine of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, the leading Party group of the National Development and Reform Commission vowed to enhance the efficiency of government investment to support areas such as transportation infrastructure, energy, coordinated regional development and the modern industrial system. China's retail sales, a gauge of consumption, have rebounded since August and rose by 10.1 percent year-on-year in November, while investment lagged behind as total fixed-asset investment expanded by 2.9 percent year-on-year in the first 11 months of 2023 due to a slump in real estate development, according to the NBS. With more macroeconomic policy support likely, China's A-share market rallied at the end of 2023, led by the new energy and electronics sectors, with the benchmark Shanghai Composite Index up by three consecutive days to 2,974.93 points as of Friday's close, the last trading session of 2023.