Asia stocks stumble as China drags, rate cut bets dwindle

SINGAPORE: Asian shares struggled to make headway on Thursday, weighed down by a murky economic outlook in China and expectations the global rate easing cycle may not come as early as some had initially thought.

Chinese stocks plumbed multi-year lows as the dour mood over China's shaky economic recovery extended into a second day, while an escalation of geopolitical tensions also kept markets on edge.