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SYDNEY, Jan 5 (Reuters) - Australian shares extended falls to drop 1.6 percent on Tuesday as traders played catch-up to a major sell-off in Chinese stocks the previous day, which sent shockwaves around the globe.
A semblance of calm returned to Chinese stocks on Tuesday with the CSI300 index of the largest listed companies in Shanghai and Shenzhen eking out a 0.8 percent gain in choppy trade.
Australia's S&P/ASX 200 index .AXJO fell 86.08 points to 5,184.4 at the close of trade, a level last seen on Dec.24. This is the third consecutive day of loss for the benchmark and the biggest intra-day percentage drop since Dec.14.
China is Australia's major trading partner.
New Zealand's benchmark S&P/NZX 50 index fell 0.7 percent or, 46.16 points to finish the session at 6,278.10, after hitting successive record highs in the past week.