Gold rose on Wednesday after China vowed to continue to invest in euro zone government debt, increasing gold's appeal as a hedge against inflation fuelled by ample liquidity in the financial system. Spot gold was up 0.4 percent at $1,725.79 an ounce by 3:04 pm EST (2004 GMT).
US COMEX gold futures for April delivery settled up $10.40 at $1,728.10. Volume was about 30 percent below its 30-day average, in line with its recent pace. Gold was lifted by crude oil's gains, while the euro and Wall Street fell after initial rallies fizzled. Spot platinum was up 0.3 percent at $1,628.99 an ounce. Silver was down 0.7 percent on the day at $33.30 an ounce, while palladium inched down 0.4 percent to $679.47.