LONDON, Jan 20 (Reuters) - European shares fell on Thursday, with miners among the casualties, as investors worried that China will have to undertake further monetary tightening to combat inflation after strong growth numbers.
The pan-European FTSEurofirst 300 index of top shares fell 1.1 percent to a provisional close of 1,139.82 points, after falling 1.3 percent on Wednesday.
Chinese growth soared past forecasts and inflation slowing less than expected, heightening concerns the government will tighten monetary policy.
"The growth figure clearly surprised the market and rekindled fears over inflation and the possibility of further monetary tightening," said Jeremy Batstone-Carr, strategist at Charles Stanley.
"The cyclical sectors did well in the second half of 2010. It's whether their rerating can be sustained."
Miners to fall included heavyweights Anglo American, BHP Billiton and Rio Tinto, down between 3.2 and 4.7 percent. (Reporting by Brian Gorman)