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Strategic minerals are the cornerstone of national security and stable development. China’s strategic mineral imports are highly dependent on maritime transport, and ensuring smooth maritime routes is crucial for safeguarding the security of strategic mineral imports. This study analyzes the overall pattern of China’s strategic mineral imports and maritime routes. Taking the iron ore maritime import network as an example, the study evaluates the importance and failure impacts of key maritime routes, summarizes the risk sources of important maritime routes, and proposes corresponding security strategies. The research finds that China’s strategic mineral imports are highly dependent on maritime routes. Based on the case study of iron ore maritime transport, the importance and failure impacts of maritime routes are identified. It is suggested to build differentiated and refined response strategies, focus on the protection of the Cape of Good Hope and the Lombok Strait transport corridor network, and pay attention to the safe navigation of large vessels. The risks of maritime routes for China’s strategic minerals mainly come from three aspects: navigational passages, international disputes and war threats, and non-traditional security issues. In response, multi-domain response strategies can be implemented, including building multiple strategic pivot nodes, constructing a multidimensional early warning system and an alternative route response mechanism, strengthening the construction of cross-border rail – sea intermodal transport corridors, conducting preventive diplomatic work, improving the maritime security system, and implementing hierarchical and differentiated risk-response measures.