BOJ's Kuroda says Fed rate hikes good for global economy

Bank of Japan Governor Haruhiko Kuroda said on Saturday steady interest rate hikes by the Federal Reserve were "basically good" for the world economy, as they reflect robust US growth that helps fuel global demand.

Kuroda was more cautious about the risks posed to global growth by trade tensions between the United States and China, warning that a further escalation of the conflict would hurt not just the two countries but the world economy as a whole.

"Trade conflict of this scale is rather unusual," Kuroda told a seminar hosted by the International Monetary Fund. "This is quite a new development for the world economy."