May 18 – China increased its holdings of U.S. securities this past March for the first time since September 2009, according to a report delivered by the United States Treasury Department on Monday.

Official data show the United States offloaded a record US$140.5 billion in long-term securities on the month, of which China contributed US$17.7 billion. Despite similar purchases from other countries, China remains the world’s largest holder of U.S. Treasury debt with the latest acquisition putting them at a grand total of US$895.2 billion. The hefty sum currently remains below China’s high of US$939.9 billion seen in July 2009, but some experts predict that China may surpass that sum as they continue to purchase U.S. debt in the coming months.

“Motivated by safe-haven concerns and worries about the Greek debt crisis, private foreign investors increased their purchases of U.S. Treasury bonds and notes, government agency bonds, and even private corporate bonds,” Tu Packard, a senior economist at Moody’s, told the AFP.

Japan, China’s main competition for the top spot among holders of U.S. debt, also increased its holdings on the month; going up 2.1 percent to US$784.9 billion. Hong Kong and Taiwan, the sixth and eighth largest respective holders of U.S. Treasuries, moved closer together in the rankings as Hong Kong dumped US$1.5 billion, down to a total of US$150.9 billion, and Taiwan added US$3.8 billion, up to US$124.8 billion.

Meanwhile India, currently ranked 20th, increased its holdings by US$400 million in March up to a US$32 billion total.