The yen climbed to an eight-week top versus the U.S. dollar on Thursday after a Bank of Japan policy board member advocated continued interest-rate hikes. The dollar hovered near the lowest level since the start of last week against a basket of peers that includes the yen,

China extended its support for the yuan by setting its daily reference rate for the managed currency at a level stronger than 7.2 per dollar, as escalating trade tensions with the US add to the depreciation pressure on the yuan.

The yuan weakened on Wednesday as escalating U.S.-China trade tensions rattled Chinese markets post-Lunar New Year. The dollar surged over 0.5% against the yuan to 7.2856, despite the Peoples Bank of China (PBOC) setting

The U.S. dollar slumped to an eight-week trough to the yen and lingered near a one-month low versus sterling on Thursday, as investor nerves about an inflation-stoking global trade war abated. Japan's currency was also supported by rising expectations for further Bank of Japan interest-rate hikes with a central bank official advocating continued rate hikes,