
BEIJING -- China has regained a bargaining chip with Washington by resuming the title of largest foreign holder of U.S. Treasurys, taking advantage of a calmer currency to buy more of the bonds amid relations strained by North Korea and a trade imbalance.
China increased its holdings of the debt by $44.3 billion in June to $1.14 trillion, while Japan shed $20.5 billion to stand second with $1.09 trillion, ceding a lead it had maintained since October, U.S. Treasury Department data showed Tuesday.