China is considering buying gold being offered for sale by the International Monetary Fund, Market News International said on Monday, citing two unnamed government sources, but the report could not immediately be confirmed.
"China will consider buying if the price is right and the return is relatively high," MNI quoted one of the government sources as saying.
Gold XAU=, which had dipped just below $1,000 an ounce, rebounded to $1,003.45 after the report. That would put the market value of the 403.3 tonnes on offer from the IMF at close to $13 billion.
"There was a small reaction to the news that China may discuss its gold plans at the G20, it recovered a little, but overall the market isn't overly concerned, not yet anyway," a Europe-based trader said.
China, the world's biggest producer and buyer of gold, revealed earlier this year that it had lifted its own stocks of gold to 1,054 tonnes from 400 tonnes when it last reported its holdings in 2003.
The IMF formally endorsed a plan on Friday to sell 403.3 tonnes of gold, one eighth of its holdings, to central banks or in the gold market.
RPT-UPDATE 1-China weighs purchase of IMF gold -report | Reuters
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