Chinese shares down 0.81pc in morning trade

SHANGHAI: Chinese shares were down 0.81 percent in morning trade Monday after China released a higher-than-expected inflation figure for March, dealers said.

The benchmark Shanghai Composite Index, which covers A and B shares, lost 18.78 points to 2,287.77.

China's consumer price index (CPI), the main gauge of inflation, hit 3.6 percent in March, official data showed, higher than the median forecast of 3.3 percent based on 15 economists polled by Dow Jones Newswires.