Omicron, China slowdown, tapering, economist says

A screen displays stock prices at a Tokyo brokerage on March 17, 2020. Issei Kato | Reuters Three major headwinds will hit Asian countries in the coming year, says Carlos Casanova, Senior Economist, Asia, Swiss Private Bank UBP. "We are seeing rising cases of omicron. We have priced in slower growth in China at around 5%. And now, the Fed meeting minutes suggest that the pace of the tapering will be faster-than-expected," he told CNBC "Squawk Box Asia" on Friday, adding that these factors "pose a threat for the region as a whole." The U.S. central banking spooked investors Last…