Feb 6 (Reuters) - Prices of base metals in London rose on Tuesday, backed by a softer dollar and improving risk sentiment following state-backed buying of Chinese stocks.

Three-month copper on the London Metal Exchange (LME) rose 0.7% to $8,416 per metric ton by 0558 GMT.

LME aluminium edged up 0.1% at $2,213.50, nickel increased 0.7% to $16,135, zinc advanced 0.8% to $2,440, lead climbed 1% to $2,134 and tin jumped 1.5% to $25,205.

The dollar slipped, making greenback-priced metals cheaper to holders of other currencies. However, it remained close to a three-month high on dwindling interest rate cut bets, keeping a lid on a price rally.

Meanwhile, stocks in top metals consumer China rebounded sharply, after the country's state fund stepped up efforts to rescue the slumping market and the securities regulator vowed to crack down on malicious short-selling.

However, prices of base metals were mostly down in China, with the most-traded March copper contract on the Shanghai Futures Exchange (SHFE) down 0.7% at 68,170 yuan ($9,480.17) a ton.

Prices were pressured by slow trading and weak demand before the country enters a long public holiday to celebrate the Lunar New Year during Feb. 9-16.

SHFE copper inventories surged by more than a third last week to 68,777 tons on Friday, the highest level since July last year.

SHFE aluminium edged up 0.1% to 18,835 yuan a ton, lead rose 0.6% to 16,290 yuan, while nickel slipped 0.1% at 125,440 yuan, zinc shed 0.4% to 20,545 yuan and tin dropped 1.4% to 209,350 yuan.

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DATA/EVENTS (GMT)

0700 Germany Industrial Orders MM Dec

0700 Germany Manufacturing O/P Cur Price SA Dec

0700 Germany Consumer Goods SA Dec

0930 UK S&P Global PMI: MSC Composite- Output Jan

($1 = 7.1908 yuan) (Reporting by Mai Nguyen in Hanoi; Editing by Varun H K)