HONG KONG (AP) — Asia shares traded higher Monday and gold declined, as several stock markets were closed or trading for a half-day ahead of Lunar New Year celebrations. Tokyo’s Nikkei 225 edged 0.1% higher to 56,996.21, after the government reported that Japan’s economy grew more slowly than economists had expected in the latest October-December quarter, at an annualized 0.2%. The sluggish rate of growth increases the likelihood that Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi will press ahead with