Asian Stocks Advance on Policy Speculation;

March 4 (Bloomberg) -- Asian stocks rose as optimism governments will widen efforts to bolster growth offset plunging U.S. auto sales and a contraction in Australia’s economy.

“The global recession demands rapid responses,” said Hiroshi Morikawa, a strategist at Tokyo-based MU Investments Co., which manages about $14 billion. “China is one of the few spots in the world where we can see signs of recovery.”

More than three stocks gained for each one that fell on the MSCI Asia Pacific Index, which added 0.5 percent to 72.21 at 2:21 p.m. Tokyo time. The gauge slumped 19 percent in 2009, extending last year’s record 43 percent tumble, as recessions in the world’s largest economies hurt earnings at exporters such as Toyota and Honda Motor Co.