Gold prices buoyed by China demand

``A spike in gold buying by Asian investors has created a scarcity of investment-grade gold bars in the region, supporting prices even as western investors trim their holdings. Traders said that gold sales to China had jumped 30-50 per cent since Christmas, driving the cost of kilo bars in Hong Kong more than $3 per ounce above the market price of gold, the highest level since 2008 and an indication of the tightness in the physical market... However, some warned that the gold market could lose its main support when China shuts down in the first week of February. ''