"In manufacturing enterprises, it's crucial to hone your basic skills," reiterated Chen Xuehua when responding to investor inquiries, highlighting technological innovation as the foremost item in their strategic planning. He explained that by covering all aspects from resource development to end-use materials with industry leaders, they aim to lead scientific development within the sector. Especially important is amplifying the advantages of an integrated industry chain, which becomes more apparent at scale. Smaller scales might not fully showcase these benefits.

Furthermore, the company will periodically increase efforts in resource development. Chen emphasized that product leadership and cost leadership are critical supporting elements, requiring management innovation, technological advancement, and enhanced resource control and development capabilities. Focusing on resource ends, the company will continue to strengthen this area, converting superior resources into competitive advantages.

After the announcement of Huayou Cobalt’s 2024 annual report and Q1 2025 financial results, multiple institutions commented positively on the company's outperformance. According to the announcements, net profit for 2024 was 4.155 billion yuan, representing a year-on-year growth of about 24%, while Q1 2025 saw a net profit of 1.252 billion yuan, marking a year-on-year increase of approximately 140%.

When asked about the primary drivers of future profitability, Chen Xuehua stated that "rebuilding another Huayou" is the fundamental goal of the company's development. The driving forces behind this include the advantages of an integrated industry chain, international operations, comprehensive technological innovation, and high-level ecological advantages.

Huayou Cobalt insists on positioning new energy lithium battery materials as its core business, supported by nickel-cobalt-lithium resource guarantees, adhering to the path of transformation and upgrading characterized by "upstream resource control, downstream market expansion, and midstream capability enhancement." By leveraging the advantages of an integrated industry chain, international operations, comprehensive technological innovation, and high-level ecological advantages, the company aims to firmly grasp opportunities presented by the new round of technological revolution and industrial transformation.

In terms of global layout and international operations, Huayou Cobalt has established an operating pattern encompassing overseas resources, international manufacturing, and global markets. Chen Xuehua introduced that the company is actively laying out resource development projects in resource-rich regions such as Indonesia, Congo (Kinshasa), and Zimbabwe, while constructing advanced manufacturing bases both domestically and internationally, including Hungary.

"No investment without resources; no investment without good partners," Chen Xuehua emphasized, indicating that Indonesia serves as the main battlefield for Huayou Cobalt's transformation and upgrading. Under these premises, the company will further increase its investments in Indonesia in a healthy, safe, and sustainable manner.

Regarding investors' concerns about development plans for nickel resources in Indonesia, Chen Xuehua revealed that two major projects are entering the countdown phase for production: the Pomalaa wet smelting project in collaboration with Vale Indonesia and Ford Motor, with an annual capacity of 120,000 tons of nickel metal, is expected to be put into operation by the end of 2026; the Sorowako high-pressure acid leaching project, also in partnership with Vale Indonesia, with an annual capacity of 60,000 tons of nickel metal and 5,000 tons of cobalt metal, is scheduled for completion in 2027. In the future, Huayou Cobalt will continue to increase its resource development efforts in Indonesia, perfecting its industrial chain layout and strengthening its resource guarantee capabilities.

"The projects in Indonesia will be built one better than the last," Chen Xuehua confidently told investors. Current technological advancements have significantly improved the operational efficiency and reduced costs of related projects. The company will adhere to an open development strategy, further deepen its global layout, and continuously improve its ability to participate in global resource allocation, integrate into the global industrial division, and join the global market competition, gradually realizing its transition from a Chinese enterprise to a world-class enterprise.