Dollar holds ground, upbeat China factory activity lifts Aussie

By Wayne Cole SYDNEY (Reuters) - The U.S. dollar held quietly firm on Tuesday as the prospect of rising U.S. interest rates this year kept sentiment bullish, while a surprisingly upbeat reading on Chinese manufacturing gave the Aussie dollar a lift. A holiday in Japan made for thin trade, leaving the dollar steady around 117.35 yen but well up on Friday's trough of 116.05.