CNBC Asia

Top trade representatives from the U.S. and China had a call recently to discuss the implementation of the phase one agreement between the two economic powerhouses, according to the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative as well as Chinese media.

The case raises questions about the durability of immune protection from the coronavirus. But it was also met with caution by other scientists, who questioned the extent to which the case pointed to broader concerns about reinfection, STAT News reports.

The first batch of firms listing on mainland China's Nasdaq-style ChiNext board under its revised IPO system made their debut on Monday and saw staggering gains. Contec Medical Systems jumped more than 1,000% on the day while Ningbo KBE Electrical Technology surged more than 740%.

Singapore's open and trade-dependent economy has taken a hard hit following lockdown measures around the world aimed at slowing the spread of the coronavirus.

Shares of Alibaba listed in Hong Kong fell on Friday despite the Chinese tech behemoth announcing a 34% on-year increase in revenue in the quarter ended June 30.

The pandemic has disproportionately hit the customer segment targeted by many aspiring digital banks, said Tamma Febrian of Fitch Ratings.

The Indonesian rupiah has weakened by around 6% against the greenback this year, making it the worst-performing currency in Asia.

China on Thursday announced no changes to its benchmark lending rate, with the one-year loan prime rate (LPR) kept at 3.85%, while the five-year LPR was on hold at 4.65%. That was in line with expectations from the majority of the participants in a Reuters survey who predicted no change to either rate.

General Motors plans to launch vehicles capable of 5G connectivity for Chinese consumers beginning in 2022, providing the groundwork to expand the company's in-vehicle and connected technologies.

Japan's exports in July declined 19.2% as compared to a year ago, according to provisional trade statistics from the country's Ministry of Finance released Wednesday. The fall compared against a median forecast for a 21.0% decline by economists in a Reuters poll.

Chinese airlines derive much of their revenues through domestic travel, which means they're likely "more resilient than other regional airlines for the rest of the year," said Eastspring Investments

"A Biden presidency — if he were to win — will result in more certain policymaking, foreign policymaking," according to Nomura's Rob Subbaraman.

South Korean news agency Yonhap reported Tuesday that concerns are rising over a potential "massive outbreak" of coronavirus cases in the country.

Thailand's economy could be one of Asia's worst performing this year after the pandemic caused a slump in tourist arrivals, said economists.

Oracle is in talks to acquire TikTok's U.S., Canadian, Australian and New Zealand operations, challenging Microsoft, according to a source familiar with the matter.

Japan's economy shrank 27.8% on an annualized basis in April-June, according to government data released Monday. That was the sharpest contraction on record, according to Reuters.

The "big price" that China is paying for tightening its control over Hong Kong is Taiwan, said David Roche, president and global strategist at Independent Strategy.

The mounting U.S.-China tensions are not good for Hong Kong, said the city's secretary for commerce and economic development, as he urged everyone to recognize that the "common enemy" of the world is the coronavirus pandemic.

Hong Kong reported its fourth consecutive quarter of year-over-year economic contraction, official statistics showed Friday.

Major indexes in Australia, China and Japan rose while South Korea's Kospi index struggled for gains.