The CSI300 index of the largest listed companies in Shanghai and Shenzhen rose 3.0 percent, to 3,223.13, while the Shanghai Composite Index gained 3.2 percent, to 3,007.74 points.

China's economic growth eased to 6.8 percent in the fourth quarter from a year earlier, matching expectations but still the slowest since the global financial crisis, putting pressure on policymakers to roll out more support measures.

(Reporting by Samuel Shen and Pete Sweeney; Editing by Richard Borsuk)