After rising for seven consecutive trading days, Chinese shares declined 1.75 percent on Monday as caution returns upon the release of official economic statistics.

The benchmark Shanghai Composite Index declined 1.75 percent, or 45.9 points, to close at 2579.75. The Shenzhen Component Index dropped 3.09 percent, or 314.27 points, to 9868.79.

China's consumer price index (CPI) and producer price index (PPI), the main gauge of inflation at retail and wholesale level, fell 1.5 percent and 6.6 percent, respectively, year on year in April, the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) said on Monday.

(Xinhua News Agency May 11, 2009)