Dollar hoarded hefty gains on Wednesday after strong U.S. retail data put a Federal Reserve rate hike back on the agenda, while Asia stocks inched ahead as tensions in the Korean peninsula simmered down a little.

China will take action to defend its interests if the United States damages trade ties, the Ministry of Commerce said on Tuesday, after U.S. President Donald Trump authorized an inquiry into China’s alleged theft of intellectual property.

The dollar slid against a basket of the other major currencies on Friday as weaker-than-expected U.S. inflation data tempered expectations for a third interest rate hike by the Federal Reserve this year.

Asian equity markets extended a global slide on Friday as tensions ramped up between the United States and North Korea, sending investors fleeing to less risky assets such the yen and the Swiss franc.

Asian stocks turned lower on Thursday as investors fretted about the simmering tensions between the United States and North Korea, sending Seoul shares skidding to two-month lows even as the previous day’s rush into safe-haven assets appeared to slow.

Asian shares and U.S. stock futures slipped on Wednesday and investors sought havens such as U.S. Treasuries, gold and the yen as tensions on the Korean peninsula escalated, with Pyongyang saying it is considering plans to attack Guam.

Asian shares went flat on Tuesday as disappointing Chinese trade data clouded the otherwise upbeat outlook on global growth, leaving currencies and commodities becalmed in summer doldrums.

Asian stocks advanced on Monday, taking their cue from Wall Street, while the dollar moderated but retained most of its gains after a stronger-than-expected July job report.

U.S. employers likely maintained a strong pace of hiring in July while raising wages for workers, signs of labor market tightness that could clear the way for the Federal Reserve to announce next month a plan to start shrinking its massive bond portfolio.

Asian shares slid on Thursday, led by falls in South Korean tech shares, as investors locked in recent gains after Wall Street’s Dow Jones Industrial Average broke the 22,000 barrier for the first time in its 121-year history.