South Africa's mines minister said today China had shown strong interest in investing in the country's mining sector and reassured investors there were no plans to nationalise mines.

"There is a lot of interest from China. They are interested in manganese, platinum, uranium and I would say almost every commodity," Mineral Resources Minister Susan Shabangu told the Global Mining and Steel Summit in New York.

"But we are also cautious to see if their investment is going to benefit South Africa. It is critical for us to ensure our own interest in catered for."

Shabangu reaffirmed nationalisation of mines in South Africa was not government policy and would not happen. It was a debate being pushed by a minority, she said.- Reuters