China’s imports and exports slowed in the first two months of this year, denting hopes of a recovery in the world’s manufacturing hub

Japan’s Nikkei was boosted by calming noises coming from the US Fed on rate hikes while Beijing’s safe growth target disappointed investors

Investor mood shifted from the downbeat to the positive on Friday on signals the US Fed was ready to rein back its aggressive interest rates programme

Many investors were reluctant to take risks on Thursday as the likelihood of an extended inflation fight in the US dampened the mood on trading floors

The region's stock indexes sparked back into life on Wednesday posting their best returns in seven weeks after data showed China's manufacturing sector rallied strongly in February

Investors remained on the sidelines bracing themselves for more rate hikes out of the US though recovery hopes boosted mainland China stocks

Risk-taking was in short supply on Monday with investors bracing for more US Fed tightening and superpower friction dampening the mood further

The one-year-old Ukraine war and a ramp-up in the war of words between Beijing and Washington dampened the mood on trading floors

Investors were in subdued mood after Fed meeting minutes revealed a hawkish tone and the US and Russia continued to argue over Ukraine

Japan's Nikkei hit a one-month low while tech stocks dragged on Hong Kong’s Hang Seng with global growth worries weighing on sentiment

Tensions over the continuing Ukraine conflict, a slump in factory output in Japan and fears there’ll be no let-up in the Fed’s war on inflation all weighed on sentiment

Nikkei, Hang Seng and China’s mainland indexes all advanced but traders were cautious ahead of the release of key US and global economic data this week