* 'Risk-off' sentiment sends Asian shares to over 6-monthlow

* Spot gold may bounce to resistance at $1,290/oz-technicals

* Platinum hits 6-month low

(Adds comment, detail; updates prices)

By Apeksha Nair

BENGALURU, June 19 (Reuters) - Gold prices rose on Tuesday,supported by safe-haven buying as an escalating trade spatbetween the United States and China sparked a sell-off in equitymarkets.

Spot gold XAU= was up 0.2 percent at $1,280.29 an ounce by0640 GMT.

U.S. gold futures GCcv1 for August delivery were 0.2percent higher at $1,282.60 per ounce.

Asian stocks and the U.S. dollar extended a global downturnafter President Donald Trump threatened to impose a 10 percenttariff on $200 billion of Chinese goods in an escalatingtit-for-tat trade war between the world's two biggest economies. urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nL1N1TK1XD

The dollar hit a one-week low versus the yen JPY= andAsian shares outside Japan .MIAPJ0000PUS slid 2 percent totheir lowest level in over six months. USD/ MKTS/GLOB

"There is a bit of panic as investors are looking for cover,especially from equity market, and as we know gold does offerthat hedge," said Stephen Innes, APAC trading head at OANDA.

Gold prices can gain during times of financial and politicaluncertainty as the metal is seen as a safe place to park assets,alongside the yen.

Spot gold may bounce moderately to a resistance at $1,290and then retest support at $1,277 per ounce, said Reuterstechnicals analyst Wang Tao. urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nL4N1TL0ZA

However, limiting scope for upside in the precious metal wasthe hawkish monetary policy stance by the U.S. Federal Reservewhen it raised its benchmark lending rate last week for thesecond time this year, said John Sharma, an economist atNational Australia Bank. urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nTLADHEE2K

"Fed Chair Jerome Powell's comment that the U.S. economy was'in great shape' is more in line with four rate rises this year.This is somewhat more aggressive than previously anticipated,"Sharma said.

The U.S. economy "appears to be in a pretty good place" thatshould let the Fed continue its steady program of raisinginterest rates, another Fed official said on Monday. urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nL1N1TK16U

Higher U.S. rates tend to boost the dollar and weigh ongold, in which it is priced.

Meanwhile, in other precious metals, silver XAG= wasunchanged at $16.40 an ounce, after earlier hitting the lowestsince June 5 at $16.34.

Platinum XPT= fell 0.3 percent to $878.50 an ounce, havingearlier touched its lowest since mid-December at $873.

Palladium XPD= was down 0.6 percent at $983.60 an ounce,after marking its lowest since June 5 at $979.99 overnight.

(Reporting by Karen Rodrigues and Apeksha Nair in Bengaluru;Editing by Subhranshu Sahu) ((Apeksha.Nair@thomsonreuters.com; within U.S. +1 651 848 5832,outside U.S. +91 80 6749 6408/1298; Reuters Messaging:apeksha.nair.thomsonreuters.com@reuters.net))