Shares were mixed in Asia on Monday as China reported a variety of data that painted a complicated picture of its recovery from the pandemic. Benchmarks rose in Hong Kong and Tokyo but fell in Shanghai and South Korea. The passage of a $1.9 trillion aid package for the U.S. economy has added to investor confidence that the U.S. and global economy will likely experience a strong recovery from the pandemic in the second half of the year but also potentially increase the rate of inflation. China has led the global recovery, reopening earlier than other countries from coronavirus shut-downs that emerged in the central city of Wuhan in early 2020. Retail sales jumped nearly 36% year-on-year in January-February from a year earlier. But the surge was mostly driven by strong demand for cars, catering and jewelry, suggesting Chinese consumers were splashing out during the Lunar […]