Feb 7 (Reuters) - China's central bank extended its gold buying spree for a 15th month in January, data from the People's Bank of China (PBOC) showed on Saturday. The country's gold holdings rose to 74.

While broad market participation is welcomed by officials, any threat to social cohesion is sure to attract negative attention.

Gold has rarely been this volatile, and the bullion's sharp price swings are increasingly being linked to China's speculative traders, some analysts believe.

Gold and silver are undergoing a sharp, volatility-driven correction amid multiple sell pressures. China-linked ETFs are draining a key pillar of demand, removing the bid

China’s central bank has kept buying gold for 15 straight months, even as the entire precious metals market took a nosedive at the end of January. The People’s Bank of China added 40,000 troy ounces to its reserves in January.

China's Ning Zhongyan delivered a sensational performance to win the men's 1,500 metres at the Winter Olympics on Thursday, capturing his and his nation's first speed skating gold at these Games.

Gold and silver futures rose, with gold clawing back over the $5,000/oz level, as dip-buyers returned to the market and the US dollar fell to its lowest in more than a week/.

Has Beijing been amassing a secret war chest of gold so that it can one day dethrone the US dollar via economic warfare?

Gold demand remained subdued in India this week as volatile prices deterred buyers while other major Asian hubs, including China, were closed on account of the Lunar New Year holidays.

China’s recent gold trading frenzy looks more like a speculative bubble than a typical flight to safe-haven assets, raising the risk of more market turbulence, Capital Economics said.

LIVIGNO, Italy (AP) — Su Yiming sat in the snow at the bottom of the snowboarding course, tears rolling down his cheeks. So close to winning China its first gold at the Milan Cortina Games, he still had a long wait to endure.

Gold has long been considered a reliable safe-haven asset, especially during periods of economic uncertainty. However, recent sharp rallies followed by steep declines have raised fresh questions about whether the precious metal still deserves that reputation.