FOREX-Yen near 7-mth high vs dollar; Hong Kong, Argentina woes fuel risk aversion

* Yen testing January high as global tensions heighten
* Hong Kong unrest, Argentina market rout add support to yen
* Graphic: World FX rates in 2019 http://tmsnrt.rs/2egbfVh

By Shinichi Saoshiro
TOKYO, Aug 13 (Reuters) - The yen stood near a seven-month
high against the dollar on Tuesday as unrest in Hong Kong and
gyrations in Argentina's markets heightened investor risk
aversion and fanned demand for the safe-haven Japanese currency.
The yen traded at 105.400 per dollar JPY= after brushing
105.050 overnight, its strongest since Jan. 3.
The yen has been on a solid footing this month, supported by
factors such as U.S.-China trade tensions and the prospect of
further monetary easing by the U.S. Federal Reserve.
The currency has received a fresh boost from deepening
unrest in Hong Kong, where the international airport was closed
to flights for several hours on Monday amid ongoing
demonstrations. Surprise primary election results in Argentina,
which resulted in a rout in the country's peso currency, stocks
and bonds, have also added support. "It's the 'risk off' in the market generated by events in
Hong Kong and Argentina that is feeding demand for the yen,"
said Yukio Ishizuki, senior currency strategist at Daiwa
Securities. "Speculators are increasing their long positions on
the yen."
"There really are no signs of the yen's advance abating,"
Ishizuki added. "The next target is the yen's high reached
against the dollar early in January, but even that threshold
won't present much of an obstacle at this rate."
The Japanese currency has gained for the past four trading
days against the greenback. A move beyond 104.100, this year's
high scaled at the start of January, would take the yen to its
highest level since November 2016.
The euro EUR= was little changed at $1.1215.
The single currency held modest gains made the previous day
after Italian bond yields pulled back from five-week highs on
relief that rating agency Fitch left the country's credit rating
unchanged. The Australian dollar AUD=D3 crawled up 0.15% to $0.6760.
The Aussie had lost 0.5% the previous day, slipping in
sympathy with the Chinese yuan CNH= amid little sign of
progress in U.S.-China trade relations. The Aussie is sensitive
to developments in China, Australia's largest trading partner.
Argentina's peso ARS= ended trade on Monday at 52.15 per
dollar for a loss of roughly 15% after falling to an all-time
low of 61.99. Fears of a possible return to interventionist policies, and
by extension a possible debt default, gripped the market after
conservative Argentina President Mauricio Macri lost by a much
wider-than-expected margin to the opposition in presidential
primaries.