(Yicai Global) Dec. 16 — China raised its holdings of US Treasuries in October for the second straight month to retain its position as the second-largest foreign owner of the North American country’s national debt after Japan.
China hiked its stockpile of US bonds by USD17.8 billion to USD1.1 trillion in October, the US Department of the Treasury revealed today. In September, the world’s second-biggest economy had added a sum of USD600 million.
Overseas creditors held USD7.6 trillion of US Treasuries as of October, up USD99.6 billion from September while hitting a record high.
Japan remained the largest foreign creditor of the United States, a position the Asian country snatched from China in June 2019 and has kept ever since. Japan increased its holdings by USD20.8 billion to USD1.3 trillion in October.
Meanwhile, the UK came in third. The European country boosted its holdings of US bonds by USD13.3 billion to USD579.8 billion. Ireland was No. 4 with its addition of USD14.9 billion to USD324.3 billion. Luxembourg increased its Treasury appetite for the third straight month to hold USD314.3 billion of such government debt securities. The small European country surpassed Switzerland as the No. 5 on the list in September.
Editor: Emmi Laine, Xiao Yi