(Yicai Global) April 18 -- China, the United States’ second-biggest creditor, pared its holdings of US Treasury bonds for the seventh straight month in February to the lowest level in almost 13 years.

China cut its holdings of US Treasuries by USD10.6 billion to USD848.8 billion last month from the previous month, according to data released by the US Department of the Treasury yesterday. That was the nation’s smallest haul since June 2010.

Japan also reduced its holdings by USD22.6 billion to USD1.082 trillion in February. The largest foreign owner of US debt had lifted its exposure by USD28.1 billion to USD1.1044 trillion in January from December, the highest since last October.

Foreign investors' holdings of long-term US Treasury securities rose by USD63.6 billion in February, according to the data. Foreign private net inflows totaled USD9.4 billion, while overseas official net acquisitions reached USD54.2 billion.

US investors shrank their long-term foreign bond holdings, with net sales of USD7.4 billion, the Treasury data showed.

Editor: Futura Costaglione