China Reduces US Debt Holdings to 16-Year Low: Treasury

Beijing is now the third-largest holder of U.S. Treasury securities.

US$100 notes being counted next to stacks of 100 yuan (RMB) bank notes at a bank in Huaibei, Anhui Province, China. AFP via Getty Images

China reduced its exposure to U.S. Treasury securities to the lowest level in more than 16 years, continuing the decade-long trend of trimming holdings of American debt.

According to new data released by the Treasury Department, Chinese stockpiles declined by about $8 billion, to $757.2 billion in April, from $765.4 billion in March. This is also down about $13 billion from a year earlier.