China Leads List of America’s Creditors

(Reuters) – President Barack Obama will host Chinese President Hu Jintao for a state visit on January 19, and the leaders of the two economic powerhouses are expected to discuss thorny issues such as China’s trade surplus and its currency policies.

The United States will tread carefully as Beijing is the country’s largest creditor, holding more than $900 billion worth of U.S. Treasury bonds.

Below are the top 10 largest holders of U.S. debt as of the end of October.

– China, mainland: $906.8 billion

– Japan: $877.4 billion

– United Kingdom: $477.6 billion*

– Oil exporters, which include Ecuador, Venezuela, Indonesia, Bahrain, Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Algeria, Gabon, Libya, and Nigeria: $213.9 billion.

– Brazil: $177.6 billion

– Hong Kong: $139.2 billion

– Caribbean banking centers, which include Bahamas, Bermuda, Cayman Islands, Netherlands Antilles and Panama: $133.7 billion

– Russia: $131.6 billion

– Taiwan: $131.2 billion

– Canada: $125.2 billion

* UK figure may include government debt bought by other countries through London intermediaries

Source: Treasury Department

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