Japan Overtakes China As Top Foreign Holder Of U.S. Debt

Japan has overtaken China as the top holder of U.S. Treasury securities, according to the latest data released by the Treasury Department on Wednesday. Japan holds $1.2244 trillion of U.S. government debt, narrowly topping China's $1.2237 trillion, according to the report. The data also is open to interpretation since both China and Japan buy U.S. debt through other countries. The Wall Street Journal reports that is the first time in about six years that China was not in first place.