Shares of London-listed miners Anglo American (>> Anglo American plc), Rio Tinto (>> Rio Tinto plc) and BHP Billiton (>> BHP Billiton plc) were up between 5 and 6.4 percent at 1630 GMT after China's surprise move, seen as a new step-up for a campaign to support growth in the world's second-largest economy.

The blue-chip FTSE 100 index <.FTSE> was up 1.1 percent at 6,752.96 points. The benchmark index is up about 1.5 percent so far this week and on track for a fifth week of gains in a row.

"In the UK a rising tide lifted all boats with mining stocks being the biggest beneficiaries of rising commodity prices as a result of the Chinese rate cut," Jasper Lawler, analyst at CMC Markets, said.

However, Royal Bank of Scotland (>> Royal Bank of Scotland Group plc) shares fell 0.9 percent after it said it only marginally passed a stress test last month.

Worries over China's economy losing steam, combined with fears of a supply glut, have hit commodity prices and shares. Some warned the rate move was unlikely to change the mining sector's structural issues.

"The oversupply is greater than expected and the speed of reaction from some miners to that has been slower than expected ... The rate cut does not change that," said Nik Stanojevic, analyst at Brewin Dolphin.

Other energy-related stocks also rose: Tullow Oil (>> Tullow Oil plc) was up 5.7 percent, Royal Dutch Shell up 1.8 percent and BG Group (>> BG Group plc) up 2.3 percent. In addition to China's rate cut, prices were helped by the possibility of OPEC deciding on a supply cut next week.

Mid-cap Ophir Energy (>> Ophir Energy Plc) fell 5.5 percent after the oil and gas explorer offered to buy peer Salamander Energy (>> Salamander Energy Plc) in an all-stock transaction. Salamander shares were up about 1.4 percent.

Outsourcing group Serco (>> Serco Group plc) fell more than 5 percent after a downgrade from broker Credit Suisse.

(Editing by Alison Williams)

By Atul Prakash and Lionel Laurent