China's steady gold buying is a bullish signal for gold, and a sign it's quietly moving away from the US dollar.

• China's central bank has bought gold for 20 straight months, its longest streak in years.
• One of its biggest purchases came even as the gold price was falling hard.
• China isn't trying to time the market or make a quick profit — it's stockpiling gold on purpose.
• The bet is that gold will matter more in the future, likely as a hedge against the dollar's dominance.

Outlook: Expect China to keep adding gold, which puts a floor under prices and points to a slow shift away from the dollar.