Japan Surpasses China as Top Foreign Holder of US Debt

Japan has reclaimed its status as the largest foreign holder of U.S. Treasury bonds for the first time since the 2008 financial crisis.

A man looks at an electronic stock indicator of a securities firm in Tokyo, Japan, on April 15, 2015. Japan surpassed China as the top foreign holder of U.S. debt for the first time since the 2008 financial crisis. AP Photo/Shizuo Kambayashi

Japan has reclaimed its status as the largest foreign holder of U.S. Treasury bonds, surpassing China as the top holder of U.S. debt for the first time since the 2008 financial crisis, according to the latest Treasury Department data released on Wednesday.

For the month of February, Japan owned $1.2244 trillion in U.S. government securities, while China owned $1.2237 trillion. In January, Japan held $1.2386 trillion, compared to China’s $1.2391 trillion.

China’s holdings have been steadily decreasing since August 2014, when they owned $1.2697 trillion. Japan’s numbers have fluctuated from month to month in the past year.

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