March 13 (Reuters) - Mercedes-Benz has held preliminary talks with Chinese automaker Geely on expanding ties between the companies as the German automaker looks to strengthen vehicle development in its largest market, Bloomberg News reported on Friday, citing people familiar with the discussions.

Reuters could not independently verify the report.

Mercedes-Benz did not immediately respond to Reuters request for comment.

(Reporting by Dagmarah Mackos; Editing by Louise Heavens)