China and Japan help boost foreign holdings of U.S. debt

The national debt now stands at a record $19.1 trillion.

Compliments.

As I recall, global stock markets crashed in January, the most in history, after the Federal Reserve rates 25bps on December 16, 2015. So it was probably, a knee jerk, flight to safety reaction. Except, they're jumping from the frying pan into the fire. Sure, as owner of the world's reserve currency, the dollar, the US can simply print as much money as it wants and go into as much debt as it wants. But what you get back, isn't going to have the same purchasing power when the bond matures, because the real rate of inflation is much higher than governments report.

Now this explains the so-called American pivot to Asia!

This must also be the Wall Street version of the now hyped-up version of the Freedom of Navigation sails of high chinned Ash Carter!

If I were Pres. Noy Aquino, I would probably whisper a question to Pres. Obama ... why allow bully China to buy US Treasury Securities when American and Filipino troops are about to shoulder-to-shoulder fight a war vs China in the SCS aka WPS?

And I think Noy should also ask Ash why Washington only sell Kennedy era coast guard frigates to fight the PLAN?

Me think Shinzo also order Suga ask this same question to Ambassador Carol Kennedy!

Japan has a much bigger debt problem.