European shares slide more than 1% on hawkish ECB remarks, disappointing China data

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By Shristi Achar A and Shashwat Chauhan

(Reuters) -European shares declined on Wednesday as more hawkish remarks from European Central Bank (ECB) officials tempered interest rate cut expectations, while glum economic data from China further soured investor sentiment.

The pan-European STOXX 600 index ended 1.2% lower, touching a more than six-week low during the day and logging its biggest single-day percentage fall since October.

ECB President Christine Lagarde said the central bank was on track to get inflation back to its 2% target but victory had not yet been won, while Dutch central bank chief Klass Knot said market players…