Nickel, cobalt, lithium, and vanadium are critical minerals underpinning China's new energy industry. However, they currently face triple challenges: resource shortages, poor natural endowments, and technological bottlenecks in high-value utilization. To clarify the development trajectory of the entire industrial chain, this study systematically examines the global resource distribution of nickel, cobalt, lithium, and vanadium and reviews the current status of mining, beneficiation, smelting, and recycling technologies. It summarizes China's strengths and remaining weaknesses across these four chains and proposes priority tasks and policy recommendations for the next stage. The study finds that although China has built the world's most complete industrial chains for nickel, cobalt, lithium, and vanadium, upstream supply-security risks remain significant, import dependence is high, and competitiveness in high-end materials technology is still insufficient. Therefore, the study designs a resource-security roadmap and key tasks targeted for 2035, including establishing a mineral "gene" database, advancing comprehensive utilization technologies for low-grade resources, developing high-quality material technologies and products, building a green recycling system, and creating an innovation platform spanning the full chain. Finally, tailored countermeasures and suggestions are proposed for the nickel–cobalt, lithium, and vanadium chains to promote steady industrial development, aiming to provide a solid resource support for the high-quality and sustainable growth of China's new energy sector.