China central bank adds gold for 22nd straight month in August

The extension of China's gold-buying streak into a 22nd month, with an apparent acceleration, signals a deliberate, long-term reserve diversification strategy rather than a reaction to short-term market moves. This matters because sustained official-sector demand from a major central bank provides a structural floor under gold prices, independent of speculative flows. The lack of disclosed tonnage leaves the scale of the latest purchase unclear, so whether the pace continues to quicken or stabilizes is the key metric to watch for signs of shifting policy appetite.