* FTSEurofirst 300 up 0.7 percent

* Better-than-feared Chinese growth data boosts mining

stocks

* Swedish bank SEB rallies after earnings beat forecasts

* Commerzbank gains on talk of stake sale

By David Brett

LONDON, July 15 (Reuters) - European shares rose on Monday

with miners among the top gainers after data eased concerns

about the pace of the economic slowdown in top commodities

consumer China.

By 0752 GMT, the FTSEurofirst 300 was up 0.7

percent at 1,203.63.

The Chinese economy grew 7.5 percent in the second quarter,

as analysts polled by Reuters had forecast, though some in the

market assumed the rate might have been lower following downbeat

comments from the country's finance minister.

"Chinese data was in line, which was a relief," Jawaid

Afsar, sales trader at SecurEquity, said.

European equities have rallied 8.1 percent since June lows,

supported by commitment to ongoing stimulus from central banks,

particularly in Europe.

Funds invested in European shares recorded their biggest

weekly inflows in more than a year in the week to July 10,

according to EPFR data.

Afsar said he expected more gains but that it was too early

to buy back into the mining sector, which rose 1.2

percent on Monday.

In a note, JP Morgan strategist Mislav Matejka advised

adding to European equity weighting saying stocks and reiterated

its call to add risk and increase beta in portfolios.

Swedish banking group SEB topped the list of early

risers, gaining 4.3 percent after its second quarter operating

profits beat expectations.

German lender Commerzbank rallied 3.5 percent on a

weekend media report that Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble

has spoken to UBS about the possibility of the Swiss

bank buying the government's remaining stake.

Merger activity helped boost technology stocks with

Invensys up 1.2 percent on reports General Electric

may lodge a $5.3 billion, bid that could trigger a battle

for the British software company with France's Schneider

Electric.

British security firm G4S fell 2.4 percent after

saying it held talks with large investors about tapping them for

cash.

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