SYDNEY (Reuters) – Asian stocks nudged higher on Thursday after see-sawing through a subdued session on concerns over China’s economic outlook, while an anti-climactic end to the latest chapter in the Brexit saga offered sterling a moment’s peace.

Fresh news was thin on the ground leaving MSCI’s broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan .MIAPJ0000PUS up a slight 0.2 percent. Japan’s Nikkei .N225 was almost flat after dithering in both directions.

Spreadbetters pointed to a softer start for the major European bourses, while E-Mini futures for the S&P 500 ESc1 drifted down 0.26 percent.

China’s blue chip index .CSI300 recouped early losses to gain 0.4 percent. It had been weighed by a fall in the country’s second largest home appliances maker, Gree Electric 00065.SZ, after it warned of slower profit growth as the economy loses steam.

China’s Premier Li Keqiang took to the radio to promise increased government investment this year. The country’s central bank did its part by injecting more cash into the financial system, bringing the amount for the week to a massive 1.14 trillion yuan ($168.74 billion).

Stoking some caution was news that a bipartisan group of U.S. lawmakers introduced bills on Wednesday that would ban the sale of U.S. chips or other components to Huawei Technologies Co Ltd HWT.UL or other Chinese telecommunications companies that violate U.S. sanctions or export control laws.

That came shortly before the Wall Street Journal reported federal prosecutors were investigating allegations that Huawei stole trade secrets from U.S. businesses.

Such moves could inflame tensions between Beijing and Washington and make a trade deal yet harder.

Separately, Handelsblatt reported the German government is actively considering stricter security requirements and other ways to exclude Huawei from a buildout of fifth-generation (5G) mobile networks.

Also lurking in the background were worries the U.S. government shutdown was starting to take a toll on its economy.

White House economic adviser Kevin Hassett said the shutdown would shave 0.13 percent off quarterly economic growth for each week it goes on.

PLAN B

As expected, British Prime Minister Theresa May narrowly won a confidence vote overnight and invited other party leaders for talks to try to break the impasse on a Brexit divorce deal.

An outline for Plan ‘B’ is due by Monday and the market assumes there will have to be an extension of the Article 50 exit date past March 29.

“Nothing has happened in the last 24 hours to dissuade us from the view that we are headed in the direction of an Article 50 delay, a softer Brexit or no Brexit,” said Ray Attrill, head of FX strategy at NAB.

“But it remains too soon to be buying sterling with your ears pinned back,” he added, noting many uncertainties remained.

All of which left the pound steady at $1.2872 GBP=, though still short of Monday’s peak at $1.2929. It fared well on the euro, which hit a seven-week low before steadying at 88.42 pence EURGBP=.

The U.S. dollar was otherwise mixed, easing a touch on the yen to 108.98 JPY=, but firming on the euro to $1.1386 EUR=. The dollar index was up a fraction at 96.162 .DXY.

In commodity markets, palladium XPD= hit record highs thanks to increasing demand and lower supply of the metal used in auto catalysts. Spot gold XAU= was little changed at $1,294.91 per ounce.

Oil prices eased as traders worried about the strength of demand in the United States after gasoline stockpiles there grew last week by far more than analysts had expected. [O/R]

U.S. crude futures CLc1 fell 30 cents to $52.01 per barrel, while Brent CLOc1 slipped 28 cents to $61.04.

($1 = 6.7560 Chinese yuan renminbi)

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