Chinese shares retreat on inflation data

Chinese shares tumbled on Friday after data showed China's inflation continued to trend upward in December, fueling concerns that the government may hold back further monetary easings to check inflation.

The benchmark Shanghai Composite Index moved down 1.78 percent, or 40.66 points, to end at 2,243, while the Shenzhen Component Index shed 1.66 percent, or 152.32 points, to 9,017.73.

China's consumer price index (CPI), a main gauge of inflation, grew 2.5 percent year on year in December -- its fastest pace since June, the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) announced Friday.