HONG KONG—One of China’s top lithium producers began marketing what is expected to be Hong Kong’s largest initial public offering so far this year, braving recent market volatility to test global investor appetite for shares of new-energy companies. Tianqi Lithium Corp. is aiming to raise more than $1 billion in a listing on Hong Kong’s stock exchange, according to people familiar with the matter. The Chengdu, China-based company, which says it is one of the world’s largest producers of battery-grade lithium compounds, has been listed in Shenzhen since 2010. Its mainland shares have doubled in value over the past 12...