It has been revealed that any potential investment from China in the Zimbabwean platinum industry is "at an early stage".

That is the view of an official from Beijing Antaike, China's state-run nonferrous metals information provider.

Speaking to Platts, the official admitted that Zimbabwe's platinum reserves represent "great potential" for future mining developments in the country.

She added that the idea for Chinese investment in Zimbabwe is "rational", given China's position as "a country lacking in platinum reserves, facing the problem of undersupply and replying imports to meet with domestic demand".

But she insisted that there is as yet no formal agreement between the countries, despite Zimbabwean leader Robert Mugabe's recent visit to China.

The Chinese have come under international pressure not to agree to any investment in Zimbabwe's platinum mines, because of concerns over President Mugabe's human rights record.

One UK analyst told Platts he suspected the visit to China by President Mugabe was a ploy to try to get a "hand out" for his ailing economy, as the President has made it clear in the past that he sees platinum as key to boosting the country's financial system.