China's economy has enjoyed rapid development in recent decades. Its achievements in innovation, however, are far from satisfactory. So why is it the case that innovation has not followed? The mining industry is chosen as the research target. Above all, it is indispensable for China's future energy security and some materials can be used and have no replacement for the manufacture of a constellation of high-tech products. Secondly, mining is a difficult case for the study of innovation. Finally, this study is located at the overlap between development studies and political economy. This research adopts a qualitative method. Its aim is to find the mechanism through which innovation outcomes can be determined as the qualitative method can be beneficial in presenting such a mechanism clearly. The data is collected mainly through interviews. This research is first illuminated by System of Innovation(SI) theory. SI views concrete innovations as the outcome of a System. This research adopts the Triple Helix approach to organise interviews and conduct fieldwork. This approach focuses upon the interaction of universities, governments and industries. The Innovation Ecosystem is also utilised to produce systemic research results. The empirical finding of the research recognises that, compared with the prospecting and manufacturing stages, the mining and mineral processing stages are more innovative. One theoretical finding is that the triple helix displays in different forms under different circumstances. More work ought to be done to further discern and update the evolution of a Chinese National System of Innovation and a comparison of the different forms of Triple Helix is also a rich vein for scholars.