Healthcare stocks lift UK's FTSE 100

* FTSE 100 up 0.3 pct, near 3-week high

* AstraZeneca (NYSE: AZN - news) up on speculation over new Pfizer (NYSE: PFE - news) bid

* Miners lag after weak Chinese data

By Tricia Wright and Sudip Kar-Gupta

LONDON, Aug 21 (Reuters) - Britain's top equity index rose

on Thursday on gains in healthcare stocks, led by AstraZeneca

on speculation rejected U.S. suitor Pfizer might

make another bid.

AstraZeneca rose 2.3 percent while domestic rival

GlaxoSmithKline (Other OTC: GLAXF - news) advanced by 1.4 percent, adding the most

points to the FTSE 100.

Beaufort Securities sales trader Basil Petrides said there

was a good chance Pfizer would come back with a new bid, and

that shareholders would put pressure on AstraZeneca to respond.

"AstraZeneca can invite Pfizer back for talks, and that's what

is driving up the shares," he said.

AstraZeneca snubbed a Pfizer bid earlier this year.

The blue-chip FTSE 100 index was up 19.99 points, or

0.3 percent, 6,775.47 points by 1030 GMT, approaching three-week

highs touched earlier this week.

The market was little changed after July data showing

British retail sales grew at a weaker pace than expected and

public finances posted a small deficit.

.

WEAK CHINA DATA HITS MINERS

Major mining stocks underperformed, with the FTSE 350 Mining

Index slipping 0.5 percent after a disappointing

manufacturing survey from China, the world's biggest metals

consumer.

Growth in China's vast factory sector slowed to a

three-month low in August as output and new orders moderated,

the survey showed, reviving concerns about the economy.

The FTSE 100 hit a peak of 6,894.88 points in mid-May, which

marked its highest level in more than 14 years.

Central Markets' trading analyst Joe Neighbour said the FTSE

had to get past a July peak of 6,830 points if the index was to

then make further progress and challenge record highs of 7,000

points later in the year.

"If we can't get past that July high, then I think we'll

still see people looking to sell into strength on the market,"

he said.

(Editing by John Stonestreet)