FOREX-Kiwi leads faint risk rally, Brexit promise lifts sterling

* Chinese plans for IP reform seen as positive step on trade
front
* Aussie, kiwi rise modestly as yen retreats
* Sterling buoyed by Brexit push in Conservative manifesto
* Graphic: World FX rates in 2019 http://tmsnrt.rs/2egbfVh

By Tom Westbrook
SINGAPORE, Nov 25 (Reuters) - The dollar and export-focused
currencies found support on Monday as positive signs for the
U.S. economy and upbeat headlines on U.S.-China trade talks
boosted investor confidence.
The pound climbed, too, on hopes for an imminent Brexit and
an end to years of political paralysis.
The day's mood - tempered with weariness at the flow of
trade news - was best illustrated by the New Zealand dollar. It
rose 0.4% against the safe-haven Japanese yen NZDJPY= to 69.83
yen.
"Even if the numbers are small, there's a message in there
that risk appetite has improved," said Westpac FX strategist
Sean Callow.
The dollar added 0.1% on the yen JPY= to 108.76 yen and
touched its highest level since Nov. 14 against the euro EUR=
at $1.1012. It sat at 98.278 against a basket of currencies,
just below a two-week high .DXY .
Sterling GBP= rose 0.1% to $1.2847, after British Prime
Minister Boris Johnson, whose Conservative Party leads in
opinion polls ahead of the Dec. 12 election, promised to bring a
deal to leave the European Union to parliament before Christmas.
"The markets are holding on to any sort of positivity we get
at the moment," said Sean MacLean, research strategist at
Pepperstone, a brokerage in Melbourne. "We want to keep that
momentum going."
Keeping hopes for a breakthrough in trade talks alive was
the weekend announcement of Chinese plans for improving
protection of intellectual property rights - seen as a move to
address a sticking point between the parties. U.S. national security adviser Robert O'Brien also said on
Saturday a deal was possible by year's end.
On the economic front, the greenback was buttressed by
better-than-expected U.S. manufacturing data on Friday, seen as
staving off the need for a rate cut. The main check on
confidence has been rising tensions over Hong Kong.
The city has been rocked by more than five months of
anti-government protests, and Beijing has already reacted
angrily to the passage of U.S. legislation backing protesters,
which has cleared Congress but not been endorsed by President
Donald Trump.
"The price of the 'Hong Kong bill' will be increased
underlying U.S.-China tensions," said Vishnu Varathan, head of
economics and strategy at Mizuho Bank in Singapore, adding that
means greater uncertainty around the trade deal.
Nevertheless, the day's optimistic sentiment was enough to
lift the trade-exposed Australian dollar AUD=D3 0.2% higher on
the greenback to $0.6796, and for the New Zealand dollar
NZD=D3 to gain 0.3% to $0.6421.
China's yuan CNY= strengthened slightly to 7.0356.
Later in the trading day focus is expected to shift to
German service-sector data and a speech from the European
Central Bank's Chief Economist Philip Lane at 1800 GMT.
U.S. Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell's makes a speech
at 0000 GMT.