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· Asian stocks fell on Thursday after soft economic data in China and Japan showed the trade war between Beijing and Washington hitting growth in some of the world’s biggest economies.

MSCI’s broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan fell 0.3%. Japan’s Nikkei stock index fell further, dropping 0.8%.

China’s industrial production growth slowed sharply in October, with the 4.7% year-on-year rise well below forecasts for 5.4%. Investment growth hit a record low and retail sales also missed expectations.

· Japanese shares hit 1-1/2-week lows on Thursday after profit-taking set in as doubts over an interim U.S.-China trade deal grew, while Line Corp and Z Holdings jumped on news the Yahoo Japan operator was in merger talks with messaging app firm Line.

The Nikkei share average retreated 0.8% to 23,141.55, its lowest since Nov. 5, and the broader Topix dropped 0.9% to 1,684.40, also a 1-1/2-week low.

Z Holdings, which last month changed its name from Yahoo Japan, soared 16.9% after the internet firm said merger discussions were underway with Line Corp.

Shares in Line surged 15.4%, or its daily limit of 705 yen, while SoftBank Corp, which owns almost half of Z Holdings, climbed 1.9%.

The merger talks between Z Holdings and Line also put pressure on their competitors, with Rakuten Inc diving 5.8%.

Z Holdings was the most traded stock on the main board, while SoftBank Corp was the third-most traded issue.

· China shares rebounded from six-month lows to end higher on Thursday after data reflecting a sharper slowdown in industrial activity in October reinforced expectations that Beijing will introduce fresh measures to support economic growth.

At the close, the Shanghai Composite index was up 0.16% at 2,909.87. In the previous session, the index hit its lowest closing in more than six weeks.

· European stocks made a cautious open Thursday as trade negotiations between the U.S. and China are understood to have hit a roadblock.

The pan-European Stoxx 600 hovered around the flatline in early trade, with autos slipping 1.6% as the only sector moving firmly in either direction.