Hunan Nonferrous Metals, China's top zinc producer, will seal mining acquisition deals worth at least 5 billion yuan ($703.1 million) in the first six months of 2008, South China Morning Post reported on Saturday.

The newspaper cited He Renchun, chairman of the metal producer, as saying the company would team up with Kerry Holdings, Yunnan Enterprises Holdings and other partners to invest in zinc, lead, tungsten, and molybdenum mines projects.

The projects will be in China, Australia and Canada, He added. He gave no further details.

Hunan Nonferrous Metals had said in November that it would form a joint venture with Kerry Holdings, the controlling shareholder of Kerry Properties, with registered capital of $100 million for development and global exploration of metal resources.

(US$1=HK$7.8=7.111 yuan)