HANOI -- Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh has signed a resolution calling for urgent measures to curb the spread of COVID-19 in Ho Chi Minh City.

The government is now vowing to bring the situation in the southern commercial hub under control before Sept. 15 as the pandemic weighs on foreign investment over fears about the economy.

Chinh's signing of the resolution on Aug. 6 came as Ho Chi Minh City saw deaths spike since July. The fatality rate -- the ratio between confirmed deaths and

SHANGHAI -- A Chinese court on Wednesday sentenced Canadian businessman Michael Spavor to 11 years in prison for espionage, in a ruling broadly condemned by foreign governments.

The Dandong intermediate people's court said in a statement posted its website that it also fined Spavor 50,000 yuan ($7,715), ordered the confiscation of personal property, and deportation. It is not clear whether he will be deported before the end of his imprisonment.

The Canadian government slammed the ruling, calling

HONG KONG -- Meihua International Medical Technologies is seeking to become the first Chinese company to undertake an initial public offering in the U.S. since regulators in both Beijing and Washington clamped down on such listings last month.

The Yangzhou-based medical device maker filed a preliminary prospectus with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission this week, aiming to raise as much as $69 million through an offering on the Nasdaq Stock Market.

This follows moves by a string of Chinese companies, including medical data group

BEIJING -- China is forecast to overtake the U.S. as the world's largest economy as early as 2030 and is striving to raise the international stature of its currency to a level befitting the country's economic might. As part of its effort, China is stepping up its promotion of central bank digital currencies.

Sun Lijian, a professor of finance at China's Fudan University, contends that the dollar is losing its ability to serve as an anchor for other currencies because of its

MUMBAI -- Indian digital payment startup Paytm, whose parent One97 Communications is heading for a $2.2 billion initial public offering, is undergoing a change in its business model with an eye toward increasing revenue by over three times to $1 billion for the next two to three years, sources with knowledge of the matter said.

The company, whose services are used by around 330 million people, is planning to expand its focus beyond online and offline payments to financial services such as lending, mutual

TOKYO -- After two weeks, the sporting events of the Tokyo Olympics are over . The U.S. pipped China by 39 to 38 to win the most golds, while Japan came in third with a record 27. The closing ceremony on Sunday evening brought the Games to a conclusion, with the Olympic flag handed over to Paris.

Next up are the Paralympics, scheduled to be held from Aug. 24 to Sept. 5.

Here is the final medal count .

Here are the latest

SHANGHAI -- A Chinese court on Wednesday sentenced Canadian businessman Michael Spavor to 11 years in prison for espionage in a highly controversial case that has soured bilateral relations.

The Dandong intermediate people's court said in a statement posted its website that it also fined Spavor 50,000 yuan ($7,715), ordered the confiscation of personal property, and deportation. It is not clear whether he will be deported before the end of his imprisonment.

Spavor, who worked and lived in

TOKYO -- A Japanese startup is using quantum computing to calculate the most efficient routes and methods to transport goods, as a labor shortage and increasing demand strains Japan's logistics industry.

Tokyo-based A Star Quantum will provide quantum computing software to three Japanese logistics companies as early as October. The startup's technology can perform complex calculations to determine the best transportation options based on parameters such as cost, type of vehicle and traveling time, helping its customers to minimize the number of drivers needed and to cut costs

TAIPEI -- Makers of Google's Chromebooks have slashed orders for components in the first sign that the lockdown-era boom in personal computer sales may be coming to an end.

Sales of the lightweight notebook-style computers that run on Google's Chrome operating system almost doubled in 2020 as schools switched to remote learning.

More recently, PC companies scaled back orders to suppliers by at least 20%, several industry executives told Nikkei Asia. The cuts suggest that 10 million fewer Chromebooks may