FOREX-Dollar bides time as traders look to economic data, Jackson Hole

* Graphic: World FX rates in 2020 https://tmsnrt.rs/2RBWI5E

* Jackson Hole summit is this week's main event

* Currencies off to subdued start in Asia

* U.S.-China tension remain a risk factor

By Stanley White

TOKYO, Aug 24 (Reuters) - The dollar steadied against major currencies on Monday as traders looked to more data for a gauge on the health of the global economy and the Federal Reserve's annual Jackson Hole retreat for guidance on the outlook for U.S. monetary policy.

Sentiment for the greenback has improved somewhat due to supportive data on business activity and home sales, but there are still concerns that additional monetary easing may be necessary to keep economic growth on track.

Traders in the yuan, and across the broader financial markets, are also nervously watching Sino-U.S. ties as President Donald Trump's wide-ranging diplomatic dispute with China shows no signs of abating.

"There could be a short-term bounce in the dollar, especially against the euro," said Junichi Ishikawa, senior foreign exchange strategist at IG Securities in Tokyo.

"In the long term, the dollar will resume its decline because the Fed has to commit to aggressive easing for an very long time."

Against the euro, the dollar held steady at $1.1803, clinging onto gains made late last week.

The British pound bought $1.3095 and traded at 90.14 pence per euro.

The greenback fetched 0.9121 Swiss franc, holding onto a 0.5% gain from Friday.

The yen held steady, with the dollar changing hands at 105.76 yen, showing little reaction after Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe entered hospital on Monday amid speculation about his health.

Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell will discuss monetary policy on Thursday at the opening day of the Kansas City Fed's annual symposium.

This year the meeting will be held online, and not at the hunting and fishing resort of Jackson Hole, Wyoming because of the coronavirus pandemic.

The quantitative easing that the Fed has deployed so far has flooded financial markets with excess liquidity and weighed on the dollar.

Last week the dollar index against a basket of six major currencies fell to the lowest in more than two years. It was last trading at 93.155, little changed from Friday.

The world's policymakers have unleashed an unprecedented wave of monetary easing and fiscal support to offset the economic drag caused by the pandemic.

However, many countries are now battling a second wave of infections, which could further delay a full-fledged economic recovery. As usual, investors will also be watching out for a further run of data this week for clues on the global economy, including a second estimate of U.S. GDP for the second quarter as well as weekly jobless claims and some second tier Asian indicators.