SHANGHAI, Jun 30, 2011 (Dow Jones Commodities News via Comtex) -- China's Jinchuan Group is in preliminary talks with South Africa-based miner Metorex Ltd. (MTX.JO) on a potential takeover, the 21st Century Business Herald reported Friday.

Metorex's copper and cobalt assets fit with Jinchuan's expansion plans in the two sectors, the paper cited a Jinchuan official as saying.

Jinchuan is China's largest nickel and cobalt producer by output and third-largest copper producer by capacity. Brazilian mining giant Vale SA (VALE) in early April made an offer to buy Metorex for $1.13 billion.