Dec 1 (Reuters) - Shanghai copper climbed to its highest in more than eight years on Tuesday and London prices hovered close to over seven-year high on solid Chinese data and coronavirus vaccine hopes.

The most-traded January copper contract on the Shanghai Futures Exchange rose as much as 1.9% to 57,980 yuan ($8,809.68) a tonne, highest since September 2012.

Three-month copper on the London Metal Exchange advanced 0.8% to $7,637 a tonne by 0350 GMT, nearing its highest since March 2013 touched in the previous session at $7,708.50 a tonne.

China's monthly factory activity accelerated at the fastest pace in a decade in November, a business survey showed, as the world's second-largest economy and top consumer of copper recovers to pre-pandemic levels.

Meanwhile, Moderna Inc moved ahead with its COVID-19 vaccine by applying for U.S. emergency authorization after proving 94.1% effective in late-stage trials.

FUNDAMENTALS

* ShFE aluminium hit its highest since September 2017 at 16,765 yuan a tonne, while nickel fell 2.5% to 119,370 yuan a tonne and lead declined 2% to 15,230 yuan a tonne.

* LME zinc rose 0.3% to $2,800 a tonne and lead advanced 0.3% to $2,075.50 a tonne.

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MARKETS NEWS

* Asian share markets opened slightly higher, buoyed by the prospect of a COVID-19 vaccine, reversing the previous day's losses as investors took profits at the end of a record-breaking month.

DATA/EVENTS (GMT)

0330 Australia RBA Cash Rate Dec

0700 UK Nationwide House Price MM, YY Nov

0850 France Markit Mfg PMI Nov

0855 Germany Markit/BME Mfg PMI Nov

0855 Germany Unemployment Chng, Rate SA Nov

0900 EU Markit Mfg Final PMI Nov

1000 EU HICP Flash YY Nov

1000 EU HICP-X F&E Flash YY Nov

1445 US Markit Mfg PMI Final Nov

1500 US ISM Manufacturing PMI Nov

($1 = 6.5814 yuan) (Reporting by Mai Nguyen; Editing by Vinay Dwivedi)