Trump attack on Chinese apps adds to virus woes across Asia

The ringgit was the top performer with a 1.2% weekly gain so far.

BENGALURU: Tensions over a planned U.S. ban on major Chinese apps kept most Asian markets subdued on Friday, with Philippine stocks suffering an added blow from a jump in coronavirus infections that made its caseload the highest in Southeast Asia.

Citing security concerns, President Donald Trump issued executive orders on Thursday that will ban U.S. transactions with ByteDance, the Chinese owner of the popular video-sharing app TikTok, and Tencent, owner of the WeChat app, in 45 days' time.