EM ASIA FX-Asia currencies pare gains as yuan retreats; rupiah up

(Updates prices. For midday report, double-click

)

SINGAPORE, April 24 (Reuters) - The Chinese yuan broke

though a key psychological support level on Thursday to hit

fresh 16-month lows, causing emerging Asian currencies to give

up most of earlier gains.

The yuan weakened past 6.2500 per dollar to its

lowest since December 2012 on increased corporate dollar demand

and persistently bearish views on the currency.

Sustained weakness in the renminbi has soured sentiment

toward emerging Asian currencies, a Reuters poll showed earlier.

The Taiwan dollar and the South Korean won

erased most of their earlier gains made on exporters'

month-end demand.

The Indonesian rupiah bucked the trend, however,

and firmed as investors covered short positions after continuous

stock inflows.

Foreign investors bought a combined net 3.4 trillion rupiah

($292.4 million) in Jakarta stocks during the previous

six consecutive sessions, according to Thomson Reuters data.

Such inflows, along with the dollar's broad weakness, caused

investors to reduce bearish bets on the rupiah, which

they had built up on importers' month-end demand for greenbacks

and political uncertainties over the upcoming presidential

election.

CURRENCIES VS U.S. DOLLAR

Change on the day at 0835 GMT

Currency Latest bid Previous day Pct Move

Japan yen 102.38 102.55 +0.17

Sing dlr 1.2573 1.2560 -0.10

Taiwan dlr 30.298 30.326 +0.09

Korean won 1039.00 1039.80 +0.08

Baht 32.30 32.35 +0.14

Peso 44.71 44.72 +0.02

Rupiah 11600.00 11625.00 +0.22

*Rupee 61.07 61.07 +0.00

Ringgit 3.2660 3.2655 -0.02

Yuan 6.2489 6.2376 -0.18

Change so far in 2014

Currency Latest bid End prev year Pct Move

Japan yen 102.38 105.28 +2.83

Sing dlr 1.2573 1.2632 +0.47

Taiwan dlr 30.298 29.950 -1.15

Korean won 1039.00 1055.40 +1.58

Baht 32.30 32.86 +1.73

Peso 44.71 44.40 -0.70

Rupiah 11600.00 12160.00 +4.83

Rupee 61.07 61.80 +1.20

Ringgit 3.2660 3.2755 +0.29

Yuan 6.2489 6.0539 -3.12

($1 = 11,630 rupiahs)

* Financial markets in India were closed as Mumbai takes part

in the five-week long Parliament election process set to

conclude in mid-May. Trading will resume on Friday.

(Reporting by Jongwoo Cheon; Editing by Kim Coghill)