Mayor David Miller went to China to mine for business gold and struck nickel yesterday.

Jinchaun Group Ltd., the largest producer of nickel, cobalt and precious metals in China, plans to set up its Canadian headquarters in Toronto this spring, Miller told reporters yesterday in a conference call from Chongqing.

"The opening of a Toronto office of such a significant mining concern from China is very, very important strategically for us," Miller said.

"It's a direct acknowledgement by one of the most significant Chinese mining companies of the importance of Toronto. We have significant expertise in the financing of the mining industry in our city."

Toronto's economic development staff have been working with Jinchaun Group executives for the past year to bring the company -- which produces 88% of China's nickel and 90% of its precious metals -- to Toronto, Miller said.

The mayor, Councillor Kyle Rae, city staff and a delegation of academics and business executives are on a week-long trade mission to China, which has been dogged with controversy amid the communist country's crackdown on protests in Tibet.

Miller met yesterday with Bo Xilai, the Communist Party secretary for Chongqing, to discuss trade, economic issues and, "very directly," Tibet.

"It's an opportunity for me to say Torontonians care about Tibet and they're focused on human rights and I think that message was clearly heard," Miller said.

"I think it's important that people at the highest level here -- Mr. Bo Xilai is one of those -- know the concern from a Canadian perspective."

Miller also toured the "absolutely unusual and remarkable" Olympic stadium and pool in Beijing yesterday and climbed the Great Wall.