[Fed's Barkin Hints at Support for "Gradual" Rate Hikes] According to Jinse Finance, on October 30th, Richmond Federal Reserve President Thomas Barkin stated that gradual rate hikes are reasonable given low unemployment, robust economic demand, and persistently high inflation. Regarding the Fed's tightening monetary policy process, he said, "The policy direction is quite clear; the question is the speed of implementation." Barkin believes the Fed signaled a gradual approach at its September meeting, stating, "A gradual approach is reasonable when policy is not significantly lagging behind the situation, and policymakers want time to gather more information about the economic and external environment." He noted that consumer spending has not contracted significantly. Despite low hiring and low layoffs in the job market, workers are still employed. Barkin stated that consumers have been quite creative in their spending. He also pointed out that with the surge in investment driven by artificial intelligence development, policymakers may need to take measures to curb this momentum. He said, "This type of demand-side inflation is not a supply shortage problem, unlike the energy price increases caused by the Iran war. We will observe how long this pressure lasts. But if demand continues to surge, this may be the situation where measures need to be taken to curb it."