Mongolia will increase the land to 20.9 percent of the country from 9.6 percent currently, and could announce the change later this month, the minister of mining and heavy industry, Dashdorj Tsedev, said in an interview on Monday.

Miners say Mongolia ranks as one of the best prospects in the world for new copper reserves, as the best quality ore bodies in many other parts of the world have been depleted and electric vehicles raise the possibility of a surge in demand.

The expansion reflects improved geological surveys, and the land open for exploration could increase as further improvements are made, the minister said at the Prospectors and Developers Association of Canada conference in Toronto.

"A big amount of land will be up for exploration and license," said Tsedev, speaking through a translator, adding that ecologically sensitive areas are excluded.

The land-locked country is home to Rio Tinto's massive Oyu Tolgoi copper-gold mine. Rio decided in June to go ahead with a $5.3 billion expansion, which will take five to seven years.

The mine will eventually be responsible for around 30 percent of the economy, Rio said, but direct benefits for Mongolia will be delayed. According to a 2009 agreement, investors must recoup their original investment costs before Mongolia can collect dividends for its 34 percent shareholding in the mine.

Mongolia's economy grew at a double-digit annual rate over 2011-2013 as foreign investors rushed in to take advantage of its vast untapped mineral deposits, but it has been hit hard by an economic crisis since 2016 due to government overspending and declining revenues from commodity exports.

Slowing demand for coal and copper, Mongolia's chief exports, and a plunge in foreign investment have left the world's most sparsely populated sovereign country with soaring debts and a rapidly declining currency, forcing government to hike interest rates and slash spending. (Additional reporting by Barbara Lewis in London; Editing by Leslie Adler)

Interviewed by Bloomberg on Sunday, Jiangxi Copper Co. Chairman Li Baomin predicted copper will average 45,000 (US$6,524) to 46,000 (US$6,673) Chinese yuan per ton in 2017, down from an average 47,513 yuan (US$6,892), year to date. Chairman Li cited worries over the raising of U.S. interest rates, which would increase the cost of financing major infrastructure projects, along with unclear U.S. policies and uncertainties over upcoming European elections. “There are things worrying us,” he told Bloomberg.

On the brighter side, he said global copper demand is set to exceed production, noting China is predicted to grow at 6% this year versus 5.8% last year, along with greater demand for copper used particularly in power grids and electric vehicles. For its part, Jiangxi Copper is planning on cranking out the tonnage, from 1.2 million tons last year to its maximum capacity of 1.36 MT, said Li.

Last week copper for delivery in May gained for the fourth day in a row, jumping 2% to hit a day high of $2.7685 per pound or $6,103 a tonne as a return to production at two top mines – combined responsible for some 8% of global output – looked increasingly doubtful in the near term.

Today on the Comex, copper for May delivery, the most active futures contract, was down by 4 cents, to close at $2.6520 a pound.

Chairman Li's remarks temper what analysts said about copper in December, with several forecasting a banner year for the red metal, based on increased demand from China leaving the market in a tighter supply situation. Although, even if copper in Chinese yuan drops to 45,000 (US$6,524), that is still higher than the price forecast by Goldman Sachs. The influential bank was the most bullish of five analysts quoted by MINING.com in January, predicting copper could go to $6,200 during the first half of 2017.

For this reason certificates of 82 freight forwarding companies are under suspension. The Ministry announced that the companies should apply for the examination within March 17.

He said uncertainties are unlikely to affect Chinese corporate investments in the Asia-Pacific region－including ASEAN members－fueling growth in industries ranging from food and health to telecoms and tech.

"Deals won't stop," Fleming said.

The expected quickening of cross-border investments from China is also in line with China's Belt and Road Initiative, which promotes business ties with nations along the ancient Silk Road connecting China and Europe, Africa and the rest of Asia.

At the same time, Fleming did see the inevitability for Chinese companies to adopt a more sophisticated approach and be more careful in a number of operations in their overseas expansion.

"To make successful deals, they will have to adjust their action strategies, deal sizes and structures, exchange and cost management policies, and corresponding legal practices in pursuit of mergers and acquisitions," Fleming said.

Based on their previous experience in Europe and elsewhere, companies would have to take a longer-term view and perhaps employ a more selective M&A approach.

Second, they were advised to act early to involve specialist services in the legal and other professional fields in the deal process.

Third, they needed to be more careful and flexible in designing the deal structure in order to mitigate a single company's exposure to any potential risk.

Fleming also said that companies must engage with local regulatory authorities early on in the process.

He also said that companies needed to consider the role that the media could play in a deal.

Deals that are pending regulatory approval are often reported in the media. Companies should be more sensitive to local prevailing social conditions, he said.

At a time of rising populism, companies were advised to be more careful and involve local public relations expertise and the local media.

Overall, Fleming remained confident that Chinese companies would continue to go overseas to seek diversification. He added that 2017 would be a year of continuation.

The Baker McKenzie M&A specialist said Chinese companies were quick learners and would work very hard to pursue their goals.

Legal services in China, including Baker McKenzie's Chinese partners, were making progress to adapt to the needs of their clients, "in order to be where deals are", Fleming said.

The tunnel is located at the junction of Lhasa and Nyingchi in the Tibet autonomous region at an average altitude of 4,740 meters above sea level, according to the Mila Mount Tunnel Project Headquarters.

As a key section of the Lhasa-Nyingchi Highway on the National Highway 318, the two lanes of the tunnel are 5,727 meters and 5,720 meters long respectively, according to the project headquarters.

Construction of the tunnel started in April 2015, and the project is about 70 percent complete to date, it said, adding that, hampered by the natural environment at high attitude, the construction process has encountered many obstacles.

"With a lack of oxygen and temperature lows of - 30 Celsius in winter, we require highly skilled workers," said Wang Liang, chief engineer of the project headquarters.

Wang said many workers suffered from attitude sickness during the tunnel's construction, and that much time and effort has been spent on recruiting qualified workers.

In order to overcome such difficulties, there are 15 oxygenators, an oxygen tank and five boilers on the project site, he added.

After it opens, traveling time between the cities of Lhasa and Nyingchi will be halved, Wang said.

"Driving from Lhasa to Nyingchi will take just three to four hours instead of about eight, and it will be much safer," Wang said.

"It will also have a positive impact on the social and economic development of these places, and it will make life much more convenient for local ethnic groups."

Tokyo officials say the estimate covers a 17-year period from 2013, when Tokyo won the hosting rights, to 2030, 10 years after the Games.

The estimated figures show that direct investments and visitor spending in the Games will generate about 30 billion dollars in economic benefits for Tokyo, and 16 billion dollars for the rest of the country.

Benefits from indirect investments and expenditures are estimated at nearly 150 billion dollars for Tokyo, and about 88 billion dollars for the rest of the nation.

Tokyo officials say they want to cooperate closely with other municipalities to ensure that the benefits will be felt across the country.

The fresh round of funding from Alibaba's Singapore arm for Paytm's e-commerce venture will not only help Alibaba better take on global giant Amazon in India, it may also create opportunities for other players to raise money, experts say.

Paytm has yet to comment on the investment.

Paytm E-Commerce, which recently launched Paytm Mall -- similar to Alibaba's Tmall online marketplace -- has been spun off from parent One97 Communications. One97 Communications runs mobile wallet operations under the Paytm brand.

Paytm Mall claims to offer customers a choice of 68 million products from some 140,000 sellers. It has partnered with various third-party warehouse providers and makes deliveries via 17 logistics centers and 40 courier companies.

According to various media reports, the combined stakes of Alibaba and affiliate Ant Financial in Paytm E-Commerce will now increase to 62% from 40%. The Economic Times reported that One97 Communications was valued at $4.8 billion in 2016, when it raised $60 million from Taiwanese chip designer Mediatek. Ant Financial owns a 32% stake in One97 Communications, while Alibaba holds around 8%.

Other investors in One97 Communications include U.S. venture capital company Sapphire Ventures and Silicon Valley Bank.

This is another big boost for One97 Communications, whose mobile wallet business surged after India's demonetization move took high-denomination currency notes out of circulation. Some experts say Alibaba's latest investment could help Paytm expand its e-commerce business beyond India.

Paytm is still small compared with Amazon and Flipkart, which together control 80% of India's e-commerce market. Amazon India has deep pockets thanks to its parent company, and Flipkart is reportedly looking to take in a billion dollars in fresh funding.

Snapdeal, another big Indian e-commerce player, recently had to lay off employees to remain profitable. Alibaba holds a roughly 5% stake in the company.