China Became Top Holder Of US Debt In Sept. With $585B

[babylonsister]

http://blog.foreignpolicy.com/node/10331

China now the top holder of U.S. debt
Tue, 11/18/2008 - 3:41pm

Good news for those of you who answered "China" on question 7 of the current FP Quiz: Your instincts are now correct. At the time of publication, U.S. Treasury data still showed that Japan held the most U.S. treasuries of any country. But new figures reveal that China has now taken the top spot. China increased its holdings to $585 billion in September, compared with $541.4 billion in August. Meanwhile, Japan shaved its holdings from a high of $600.7 billion in March of this year down to $571.4 billion in September.

The October figures will be even more interesting, though. Included in the $585 billion was some $400 billion in Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac debt. These securities were considered U.S. Treasuries since the government backed the institutions. With the acquisition of the two mortgage lenders by Hank Paulson, American Taxpayers, et al., China announced it would decrease its dollar holdings to diversify its foreign reserve portfolio. How much did China help fund the $700 billion TARP program? We'll know soon.