Nation's appetite for gold investment up in Q2

China saw a notable increase in investment sentiment for gold in the second quarter and may witness a further rise in investor appetite for such safe-haven assets, said the World Gold Council on Tuesday.

Gold exchange-traded fund inflows in the second quarter reached approximately 14 billion yuan ($2 billion), or 25 metric tons, setting a record high. In the first half, Chinese gold ETFs continued to attract inflows, with holdings and assets under management surging 50 percent and 77 percent, respectively, largely driven by rising prices of the yellow metal, said the WGC.

Investment in gold bars and coins surged to 80 tons last quarter, up 62 percent year-on-year, marking the strongest second-quarter performance since 2013.Rising gold prices and investor demand for wealth preservation boosted total investment in gold bars and coins in the first half to 190 tons, a significant 65 percent increase from the first half of the previous year.