问答题 The US Federal Reserve yesterday said the world’s largest economy is still expanding at a moderate pace，suggesting a slowing of asset purchase in December or January is still a possibility．The rate—setting Federal Open Market Committee made no changes to policy at its Oc．tober meeting，keeping its asset purchases steady at $85 bn a month，but the statement implied it did not see a lot of damage the Fed will not“taper”its asset purchases until March．the statement implied it could still slow the programme earlier than that—perhaps as its December meeting—if the economic data justified it． The Fed surprised markets in September by choosing to keep purchases on hold．That prompted a global rally in risky assets and big fall in market interest rates，which had risen after Fed commu．nications in June and July suggested it was close to a taper．Combined with the efiects of the shut．down—which has scrambled the economic data for October—markets have assumed the September decision meant the Fed was automaticallY on hold for some months．But October’s statement suggests that is not necessarily correct．