* Dollar rises on profit taking before U.S. payrolls
* China quells FX reserves speculation, supports dollar
* ECB rate announcement at 1145 GMT, payrolls at 1230 GMT
(Updates comments, prices, adds detail)
By Naomi Tajitsu
LONDON, July 2 (Reuters) - The dollar rose on Thursday, recovering from a near three-week low against the euro as traders booked profits on short positions in the U.S. currency ahead of key U.S. unemployment figures due later in the day.
Also helping to support the dollar were comments from a Chinese Foreign Ministry official who quelled speculation about currency reserves diversification, while traders also awaited a European Central Bank policy announcement.
Analysts said traders were adjusting short positions taken in the dollar, which fell on Wednesday after G8 sources told Reuters China had asked for a debate on proposals for a new global reserve currency.
"The market is lightening positions going into the jobs number," said Lauren Rosborough, senior currency strategist at West LB in London.
"The market in general is expecting a weak number. Given the ADP figures, we could see the number come on the downside of expectations."
Data due at 1230 GMT is expected to show the U.S. economy shed 363,000 jobs in June, more than the 345,000 lost in May, and the unemployment rate is forecast to have risen to 9.6 percent from May's 9.4 percent.
The data lands on Thursday rather than the usual Friday as markets will be closed for Independence Day on July 3.
U.S. private employers slashed a bigger-than-expected 473,000 jobs in June, according to a report from ADP Employers Services on Wednesday.
Before the payrolls report, traders were awaiting an ECB rate announcement at 1145 GMT, when the central bank is widely expected to hold rates at a record low 1.0 percent.
President Jean-Claude Trichet will speak to reporters at 1230 GMT, and investors will scrutinise his comments to see if he offers details on the ECB's asset buying plans.
By 0930 GMT, the euro was down 0.3 percent at $1.4105, retreating from $1.4202 hit on Wednesday, its highest since early June.
The euro offered little reaction to data on Thursday showing euro zone unemployment hit a 10-year high of 9.5 percent in May, while producer prices fell 0.2 percent on the month in May, compared with forecasts for a 0.1 percent rise.
DOLLAR RECOVERS
The dollar index rose 0.4 percent to 79.910, supported as a 0.8 percent slide in European shares kept traders averse to risk, prompting some safe-haven demand for the U.S. currency.
The Swedish crown fell after Sweden's central bank surprised markets by cutting its key repo rate by 25 basis points to 0.25 percent on Thursday. The euro rose as much as roughly 1 percent on the day to 10.8400 crowns, Reuters data showed.
The Swiss franc hit the day's low of 1.5245 per euro from around 1.52 after a Swiss National Bank official said the central bank was prepared to continue currency interventions to stem strength in the domestic currency.
Chinese Vice Foreign Minister He Yafei on Thursday said he had not heard that Beijing had requested a discussion on reserve currencies at an upcoming Group of Eight summit in Italy.
His comments helped to soothe jitters stoked on Wednesday that China may be cranking up measures towards a possible shift away from dollars in their currency reserve portfolios, which would be negative for the dollar. (Reporting by Naomi Tajitsu; Editing by Chris Pizzey)