Physical gold in top consumer China was sold at a small premium for the first time since early 2020, as demand picked up ahead of the Chinese new year. Dealers in China offered premiums of $0.50-$4 an ounce over benchmark spot gold prices, compared with last week’s $7-$10 discounts. “There’s been an uptick, mostly due to higher demand ahead of Chinese new year and some economic recovery,” said Ronald Leung, chief dealer for Lee Cheong Gold Dealers in Hong Kong, adding demand could rise further on COVID-19 vaccine rollouts. Chinese dealers were forced to offer steep discounts for most of last year, as the pandemic ... (full story)