The pan-European Stoxx 600 index sank 0.3 percent as traders kicked off Monday’s session, with most sectors and major bourses in the red.

·       Asian markets kept their nerve on Monday as data showed the Chinese economy slowed at the end of last year, underlining the urgent need for more stimulus as Beijing wrestles with the United States over trade.

Investors are also waiting to hear British Prime Minister Theresa May’s ‘Plan B’ for Brexit which is due to be presented to parliament later on Monday.

The world’s second-largest economy grew 6.4 percent in the fourth quarter from a year earlier, as had been expected and matching levels last seen in early 2009 during the global financial crisis.

Markets reacted calmly, with MSCI’s broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan .MIAPJ0000PUS up 0.2 percent, after rising 1.6 percent last week.

·       Japan’s Nikkei advanced to a more than one-month high on Monday, tracking gains in U.S. shares that helped buoy cyclical stocks such as shippers, while a weaker yen boosted exporters.

The Nikkei share average rose 0.3 percent to 20,719.33, its highest close since Dec. 19.

The broader Topix rose 0.6 percent to 1,566.37, with only 1.12 billion shares changing hands, the lowest level since September.

U.S. stocks rallied on Friday as increased hopes the United States and China would resolve their trade dispute lifted shares across sectors.

Analysts said the Nikkei was on track to reach 21,000 points, a level it had traded last month before a year-end rout.

“It would be a bit difficult to rise towards 22,000 with current catalysts but the market is recovering,” said Shoji Hirakawa, chief global strategist at Tokai Tokyo Research Institute.

·       China shares ended higher on Monday as investors shrugged off the country’s slowest rate of annual economic growth in 28 years amid expectations that authorities will pursue more stimulus to support growth.

At the close, the Shanghai Composite index was up 0.56 percent at 2,610.51. The blue-chip CSI300 index was up 0.55 percent, with its financial sector sub-index higher by 0.23 percent and the healthcare sub-index up 0.38 percent.