They just built a whole railway system cutting into Tibet, to help with the recovery of minerals from rich mine-sites along the way. The railway also doubles as a means of populating Tibet with the Han peoples.
China is playing her cards with Africa. It is not just for minerals.
Actually there is more than enough sitting to their north, and they have been playing nice to Putin lately. I have a feeling that this will be the productive direction they take, a few new rail lines to the north and all that empty vast treasure trove of resources can be accessed for cold hard cash that the Russians need.