China Reduces US$9.3 bln in US Debt in November

BEIJING, Jan. 20 -- China reduced its holdings of U.S. treasury debt by US$9.3 billion to US$789.6 billion in November, the smallest level since last June, according to a report released by the U.S. Treasury Department yesterday.

However, China still maintained the position as the biggest foreign holder of U.S. treasury debt.

Statistics show that in November China mainly cut holdings of short-term U.S. treasury debt that has a maturity of less than one year. The country bought US$14.93 billion of long-term U.S. treasury debt in the month.

In the same month, Japan, the second-biggest holder of U.S. treasury bonds, increased its holdings by US$11.4 billion to US$757.3 billion, while the U.K., the third-largest holders of U.S. debt, bought US$47.4 billion in U.S. debt, bringing its total holdings to US$277.5 billion.