(Yicai Global) Jan. 6 -- Stock markets on the Chinese mainland walked back gains in afternoon trading as follow-up buying proved too puny to pummel profit-taking from the day's earlier advances.

 The Shanghai Composite Index had dipped 0.1 percent to 3,083.41 by today's market close after gaining as much as 0.8 percent to reach a nine-month zenith earlier in the day.

 The Shenzhen Component Index finished 0.39 percent higher at 10,698.27. The ChiNext Price Index, which tracks Shenzhen-listed growth enterprises, closed up 1.30 percent at 1,859.92 after both Shenzhen boards hit a 20-month high intraday.

Expectations for a resurgent national economy have spurred buying in the market, but the uncertainty of the global geopolitical situation is sending chary investors back to the sidelines as soon as they turn a tiny profit.

Editor: Ben Armour