US Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross said on Thursday that the United States and China are "miles and miles" from resolving trade issues but there is a fair chance the two countries will get a deal.
The uncertainty has rattled markets for riskier assets like emerging markets that could be caught in the crossfire if the world's top two economies fail to find a resolution to their trade war before a truce comes to an end on March 1.
Still, the Korean won, was strengthened as much as 0.5 percent, after the country's benchmark KOSPI stock index rose tracking US tech shares, but the won remained 0.1 percent weaker for the week.
The Philippine peso and the Thai baht gained up to 0.2 percent each in the session. The peso has weakened 0.1 percent for the week, while the baht has appreciated about 0.1 percent.
The Malaysian ringgit strengthened up to 0.2 percent in the session. However, the currency is on course to shed about 0.6 percent in the week.
The Singapore dollar gained up to 0.2 percent after data showed that the city state's industrial production rose in December, with a surge in pharmaceuticals production masking broader weakness.
CHINESE YUAN
China's yuan also strengthened on the day, up to 0.2 percent, partially supported by expectations Beijing will ensure a firmer currency as foreign exchange is set to feature in Sino-US trade talks next week.
Unlike its peers, the yuan was on course to log in slight gains for the week, its fifth weekly gain in six.
Investors turned bullish on China's yuan for the first time in nearly eight months, a Reuters Poll showed.
Long positions on the yuan rose to their highest since mid-May, the poll of 12 respondents showed, with investors regaining some of their lost appetite for a currency that shed nearly 6 percent against the dollar in 2018.
The following table shows rates for Asian currencies against the dollar at 0522 GMT.