Tokyo — Asian stocks lost ground on Friday as investors worried about a broadening global economic slowdown, with sentiment not helped by the absence of any positive signs for a resolution in the US-China trade row. Safe-haven government bonds benefited in the face of growing anxiety over the global outlook, with German long-term debt yields falling to their lowest in over two years. MSCI’s broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan shed 0.7%, easing back from a four-month peak touched the previous day. The index was down 0.3% on the week. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng lost 0.8% and South Korea’s Kopsi retreated 1.2%. Japan’s Nikkei tumbled 1.6%. The European Commission on Thursday sharply cut its forecasts for eurozone economic growth for 2019 and 2020, stoking fears a global slowdown is spreading to Europe as businesses and investors grapple with trade frictions. Adding to the gloomy mood, US President Donald Trump said he did not plan to meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping be...
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