Asia shares struggle as Covid-19 strains US-China ties

Japan's Nikkei dipped 0.3% while mainland Chinese shares also ticked lower.

TOKYO: Asian stocks struggled to extend gains on Friday and were on course to end the week lower as deteriorating U.S.-China relations undercut optimism over the reopening of major economies.

Worries about confrontations between the two largest economies in the world eclipsed Chinese economic data, which showed it economy is gradually recovering from the shock of the coronavirus outbreak.