BANGKOK—World shares were mostly lower Tuesday after China reported its economy expanded at a 3 percent pace last year, less than half 2021′s rate.
European shares declined and Asian shares were mixed as investors watched to see if Japan’s central bank will alter its longstanding policy of keeping its key interest rate at minus 0.1 percent when it wraps up a policy meeting on Wednesday.
The Chinese economy is gradually reviving after antivirus controls and a real estate slump dragged on growth last year. Restrictions that kept millions of people at home have been lifted, but a surge in COVID-19 infections is keeping consumers cautious about travel, shopping, and dining out. Data reported Tuesday showed growth of the world’s second largest economy slid to 2.9 percent over a year earlier in December from the previous months 3.9 percent….