Stocks in cautious ranges ahead of China data, trade talk hopes fade

TOKYO (Reuters) - Asian stocks clung to tight ranges on Thursday as investors awaited key Chinese data for clues on how much the 16-month trade war between Beijing and Washington has hit growth in the world's second-largest economy.MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan fell 0.01%. Australian shares were up 0.12%, while Japan's Nikkei stock index fell 0.02%.Dashing previously upbeat expectations about a resolution to the Sino-U.S. trade war was a Wall Street Journal report..