China’s gross domestic product rose 10.7% when compared with the same period in 2008, but the increase was in line with most forecasts.
Offshore leads were bearish, with all major markets posting losses and all London Metal Exchange metals and precious metals declining.
Lead suffered the biggest loss, falling 5.4% to $US2271.50 per tonne, all other base metals fell between 1.1% and 2.2%.
Gold fell 2.4% to $1112.60 per ounce on the Comex division of the New York Mercantile Exchange, while spot gold last traded at $1113.80/oz.
All those factors combined contributed to a 0.8% or 41-point loss for the S&P-ASX 200 and a 0.9% decline in the benchmark All Ordinaries index.
It was a sea of red for the top 30 mining stocks with two copper miners bucking the trend.
OZ Minerals managed just a A0.5c rise to $1.155, despite exceeding production forecasts for the fourth quarter.
Meanwhile, PanAust also rose 0.5c to 57c on no news.
The company is expected to report strong fourth-quarter results, thanks to record October production at its Phu Kham copper-gold project in Laos.
Rio Tinto fell 3.2% or $2.49 to $75.55, while BHP Billiton dropped 1.7% or 74c to $42.67.
Slightly lower production and slightly higher cash costs resulted in Fortescue Metal Group shares falling 2.9% to $4.99.
Coal miners had a negative session, with Aquila Resources falling 7.8% to $9.95, Centennial Coal dropping 5.4% to $3.83, and Riversdale mining shedding 5% to $7.96.
On the other end of the scale, Phoenix Copper jumped 29% or 5c to 22c on news of increased copper grades at its Princess Royal project in South Australia.
CBH Resources jumped 15% to 15.5c after it revealed a proposed joint venture deal with its major shareholder Toho Zinc.
The company said it favoured the JV deal over a takeover bid from Belgium-based Nyrstar.
