Asian FX longs trimmed as Sino-US.......>

DOLLAR-ASIA: Asian FX longs trimmed as Sino-US trade deal hopes dwindle (RTRS)

- Investor sentiment towards most Asian currencies soured over the past two

weeks, a RTRS poll showed, as mkts reined in hopes that an interim Sino-U.S.

trade deal would materialise soon. Exp. have eased that Beijing & Washington

would sign an initial pact this year to end their 16-month-long tariff spat,

after U.S. President Trump threatened a hike in tariffs earlier in the week if a

deal was not signed. Also, a fresh row over U.S. bills backing protesters in

Hong Kong has emerged, threatening to worsen relations between the world's two

top economies & clouding the deal outlook. Majority of 12 poll participants

responded by 0630 GMT on Wednesday, before RTRS reported, citing trade experts &

people close to the White House, that a "phase one" deal could slide into next

year. Bullish bets on China's CNY slipped, a fortnight after investors turned

long for the first time in nearly seven months. Meanwhile, the PBoC cut both

short- & medium-term lending rates this week to prop up an economy hurt by

slowing demand & U.S. trade tariffs. Investors scaled back some bullish bets on

the IDR, the TWD & the PHP, while short bets rose on the INR and the MYR.