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China Holdings of U.S. Debt Rose in 2017 by Most in Seven Years

  • Its ownership of U.S. securities increased $126.5b in 2017
  • Japan’s holdings of Treasuries fell $29.3b last year
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How China Is Curbing Debt

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China increased its holdings of U.S. Treasuries last year by the most since 2010, in a signal its demand for American debt remains resilient.

The value of China’s holdings of U.S. bonds, notes and bills rose by $126.5 billion to $1.18 trillion in December from a year earlier, according to Treasury Department data released Thursday in Washington. China remains the largest non-U.S. holder of debt followed by Japan, whose holdings fell for the fifth straight month in December, to $1.06 trillion after ending 2016 at $1.09 trillion.