China surpasses Japan as US' biggest creditor

A $100 banknote is placed next to 100 yuan banknotes in this October 16, 2010 file picture illustration taken in Beijing. [Photo/Agencies]

China overtakes Japan as the largest foreign owner of US treasury securities after increasing its holdings for the fifth straight month to $1.15 trillion as of the end of June this year.

The China's June figure surpassed Japan's $1.09 trillion of US bonds, notes and bills in the same period, according to latest data from the US Treasury Department on Tuesday.

As of June, China owns long-term US treasury securities of $1.14 trillion and 2.35 billion short-term securities.

Thomas Simons, a senior economist at Jefferies LLC in New York, said to Bloomberg that China's holdings may continue to increase in the coming months, given strong trade flows between US and China boosting more treasury demand.

Year-on-year, the June figures also indicate that China and Japan decreased holdings by $94.3 billion and $56.3 billion respectively.

Japan became US biggest creditor in October, when it owned $1.13 trillion treasuries, and ranked second after eight month.

From the data, the rest of the top five US creditors by the end of June are Ireland, Brazil and Cayman Islands holding $302.5 billion, $269.7 billion and $254 billion respectively.

Tan Xinyu contributed to this story.