* Risk to growth from currency pressures remains
* Higher U.S. interest rates to undermine gold
* GRAPHIC-2018 asset returns: http://tmsnrt.rs/2jvdmXl
By Pratima Desai
LONDON, Aug 16 (Reuters) - Gold prices bounced from 19-month lows on Thursday as the dollar slipped on news that China and the United States will hold trade talks this month, although sentiment remained negative.
Spot gold XAU= was up 0.6 percent at $1,181.06 an ounce at 1149 GMT from an earlier low of $1,159.96, its weakest since January last year. U.S. gold futures GCcv1 climbed 0.2 percent to $1,187.9.
Gold prices have tumbled more than 10 percent since their April peak above $1,365 an ounce.
The meeting between a Chinese delegation and U.S. representatives offers hope for progress in resolving the trade conflict that has unnerved financial and commodity markets in recent weeks. and economic uncertainty have seen investors opt for the safety of U.S. Treasuries and the U.S. currency, which when it rises makes dollar-denominated gold more expensive for holders of other currencies, potentially subduing demand.
"I'm viewing the news of the talks as arresting the slide, not reversing it. The talks are low level, we are not out of the woods yet, sentiment is still bearish," said Ole Hanson, head of commodity strategy at Saxo Bank.
"For a significant gold recovery we need to see the dollar lose some of the strength that has built up. The risk to emerging market growth from currency pressures is not going away immediately."
The dollar has gained about 8 percent against a basket of other major currencies .DXY since the middle of February.
Part of the reason behind its ascendancy has been higher interest rates in the United States and the prospect of more to come this year and next. FRX/ FED/R
Higher interest rates raise the cost of holding gold, which earns nothing and needs money to store and insure.
"The underlying narratives of a strong dollar and relatively high U.S. interest rates still seem to be the predominant headwinds for gold," said INTL FCStone analyst Edward Meir.
Silver, platinum and palladium, which have industrial applications, also rallied.
Silver XAG= gained 1.2 percent to $14.60 an ounce after earlier hitting the lowest since February 2016 at $14.30.
Palladium XPD= added 4.8 percent to $882.97 an ounce, having hit a more than 13-month low at $832 earlier.
Platinum XPT= climbed 2.7 percent higher to $783.90, after earlier sinking to its lowest since October 2008 at $751.25.
Platinum, under pressure for some years, is oversupplied. It is heavily used in autocatalysts for diesel cars, which have fallen out of favour since 2015's Volkswagen VOWG_p.DE emissions-rigging scandal.
The world's top producer of platinum is South Africa, which saw its rand currency ZAR= hit a two-year low due to contagion from the Turkish lira earlier this week.
A lower rand cuts costs for South African miners when expressed in dollars, which means they can keep producing and delaying the process of rebalancing the market.
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