Does the United States of America owe China money?
Investors in Japan and China hold significant shares of U.S. public debt. Together, as of September 2022, they accounted for nearly $2 trillion, or about 8 percent of DHBP. While China's holdings of U.S. debt have declined over the past decade, Japan has slightly increased their purchases of U.S. Treasury securities.
Rank | Country | U.S. Treasury Holdings |
---|---|---|
1 | 🇯🇵 Japan | $1,076B |
2 | 🇨🇳 China | $867B |
3 | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | $655B |
4 | 🇧🇪 Belgium | $354B |
Overall, foreign countries each make up a relatively small proportion of U.S. debt-holders. Although China's holdings have represented just under 20 percent of foreign-owned U.S. debt in the past several years, this percentage only comprises between 5 and 7 percent of total U.S. debt.
The US owes so much money to China because of the large trade and investment deficit the US currently has with China. This deficit is the result of a combination of factors, including rising wages and technology costs in the US, slow growth in the US economy, and US policies that favor the import of goods from China.
Japan and China have been the largest foreign holders of US debt for the last two decades. Japan and China held almost 50% of all foreign-owned US debt between 2004 and 2006. However, this has declined over time, and as of 2022 they controlled approximately 25% of foreign-owned debt.
At the end of 2021, of the 98 countries for whom data was available, Pakistan ($27.4 billion of external debt to China), Angola (22.0 billion), Ethiopia (7.4 billion), Kenya (7.4 billion) and Sri Lanka (7.2 billion) held the biggest debts to China.
Since the U.S. dollar has a variable exchange rate, however, any sale by any nation holding huge U.S. debt or dollar reserves will trigger the adjustment of the trade balance at the international level. The offloaded U.S. reserves by China will either end up with another nation or will return back to the U.S.
It's politically popular to say that the Chinese "own the United States" because they are such a huge creditor. The reality is very different than the rhetoric. If China called in all of its U.S. holdings, the U.S. dollar would depreciate, whereas the yuan would appreciate, making Chinese goods more expensive.
Since the government almost always spends more than it takes in via taxes and other revenue, the national debt continues to rise. To finance federal budget deficits, the U.S. government issues government bonds, known as Treasuries.
Characteristic | National debt in relation to GDP |
---|---|
Macao SAR | 0% |
Brunei Darussalam | 2.06% |
Kuwait | 2.92% |
Hong Kong SAR | 4.26% |
How much does Russia owe the US?
How much does Russia owe? About $40 billion US in foreign bonds, about half of that to foreigners. Before the start of the war, Russia had around $640 billion US in foreign currency and gold reserves, much of which was held overseas and is now frozen.
Mexico External Debt - Historical Data | ||
---|---|---|
Year | Current US $ | Annual % Change |
2020 | $605,051,650,395 | -0.84% |
2019 | $610,189,277,504 | 0.62% |
2018 | $606,453,577,060 | 4.90% |
The countries with the biggest debt burdens in relative terms were Djibouti and Angola, followed by the Maldives and Laos, which opened a debt-laden railway line to China last year. The President of the World Bank, David Malpass, has called the level of debt “unsustainable” that many countries once again hold.
United States - Federal Government; Net Worth (IMA), Level was -20997153.00000 Mil. of $ in July of 2022, according to the United States Federal Reserve.
China owns roughly 384,000 acres of U.S. agricultural land, according to a 2021 report from the Department of Agriculture. Of that, 195,000 acres, worth almost $2 billion when purchased, are owned by 85 Chinese investors, which could be individuals, companies or the government.
The federal government borrows money from the public by issuing securities—bills, notes, and bonds—through the Treasury. Treasury securities are attractive to investors because they are: Backed by the full faith and credit of the United States government.
When the government spends more than it earns, it has a budget deficit and must issue debt in the form of Treasury securities. The U.S. has run a deficit for the last 20 years, substantially increasing the national debt. In fact, according to the Department of the Treasury, the current debt is $31.4 trillion.
Japan is the second-largest foreign holder of U. S. debt after China, with holdings totaling nearly $1. 3 trillion in September 2020. Japan's large holdings of U. S. debt can be attributed to Japan's large trade surplus, low-interest rates, and limited investment opportunities in their own domestic markets.
Then there are the countries that owe America money. Even though Japan holds the biggest amount of U.S. debt, the U.S. is also owed a lot of money by them too. Debts and investments are reciprocal relationships. Debts are often created as a natural part of doing international business.
- Japan. Japan held $1.08 trillion in Treasury securities as of November 2022, beating out China as the largest foreign holder of U.S. debt. ...
- China. China gets a lot of attention for holding a big chunk of the U.S. government's debt. ...
- The United Kingdom. ...
- Belgium. ...
- Luxembourg.
What countries are trapped in debt to China?
In 2020, the African countries with the largest Chinese debt were Angola ($25 billion), Ethiopia ($13.5 billion), Zambia ($7.4 billion), the Republic of the Congo ($7.3 billion), and Sudan ($6.4 billion).
If the debt ceiling binds, and the U.S. Treasury does not have the ability to pay its obligations, the negative economic effects would quickly mount and risk triggering a deep recession. The economic effects of such an unprecedented event would surely be negative.
Despite that increase, it's still only 0.88 percent of the 40 million acres owned by foreign countries at the end of 2021. Canada accounts for the most foreign-owned land in the U.S. at 31 percent, followed by the Netherlands at 12 percent.
So if the U.S. cannot pay its creditors, interest rates on U.S. debt would go up, creating a cascade of higher interest rates. So mortgage rates, credit card rates, car loan rates. All would become more expensive. Finally, there is a real concern about the economy — that a default could spark a recession.
Once the government exhausts its extraordinary measures and runs out of cash, it would be unable to issue new debt and pay its bills. The government could wind up defaulting on its debt if it is unable to make required payments to its bondholders.
Essentially, the debt-to-GDP ratio can be reduced in three ways: Fiscal austerity (i.e., spending cuts, tax increases or both) Negative real return on bonds (i.e., a nominal interest rate that is less than the inflation rate) Economic growth (i.e., GDP growing faster than debt)
- 19 % Social Security.
- 15 % Health.
- 14 % Income Security.
- 12 % National Defense.
- 12 % Medicare.
- 11 % Education, Training, Employment, and Social Services.
- 8 % Net Interest.
- 4 % Veterans Benefits and Services.
The $300 trillion works out to $37,500 of debt for every person in the world, compared to a GDP per capita of just $12,000. Global governments, households, financial corporates and nonfinancial corporates owe a record $300 trillion as of June 2022.
United States. The United States boasts both the world's biggest national debt in terms of dollar amount and its largest economy, which resolves to a debt-to GDP ratio of approximately 128.13%. The United States' government's spending exceeds its income most years, and the US has not had a budget surplus since 2001.
- Sri Lanka. ...
- Portugal. Debt to GDP Ratio: 114% ...
- Cuba. Debt to GDP Ratio: 117% ...
- Bahrain. Debt to GDP Ratio: 120% ...
- Zambia. Debt to GDP Ratio: 123% ...
- Suriname. Debt to GDP Ratio: 124% ...
- Bhutan. Debt to GDP Ratio: 125% ...
- United States. Debt to GDP Ratio: 129%
Which person has the highest debt in the world?
Former Société Générale rogue trader Jérôme Kerviel owes the bank $6.3 billion. Here's what his case tells us about financial reform.
But if Congress failed to ap prove it in a certain period of time, the deal would be off. At the end of World War II, the United States decided that Russia owed $2.6‐billion for civilian goods that were still in use and wrote off the cost of war matériel. But the United States asked that Russia pay only $1.3‐billion.
Goldman Sachs Group Inc. in total bid for more than $1.3 billion worth of Russian sovereign bonds on behalf of swap investors, making it the only participating investment bank to put in a net positive order to buy Kremlin-backed debts, auction data show.
The total debt of China's LGFVs has swelled to a record 66 trillion yuan ($9.5 trillion), equivalent to half of the country's economy, from 57 trillion yuan last year, according to an International Monetary Fund (IMF) report last month.
Here are the 10 richest countries in North America: United States - $18.62 Tn. Canada - $1.53 Tn. Mexico - $1.08 Tn.
The new treaty reduced the amount paid to Mexico to $10 million and the land purchased to 29,670 square miles, and removed any mention of Native American attacks and private claims. President Pierce signed the treaty and Gadsden presented the new treaty to Santa Anna, who signed it on June 8, 1854.
This treaty, signed on February 2, 1848, ended the war between the United States and Mexico. By its terms, Mexico ceded 55 percent of its territory, including the present-day states California, Nevada, Utah, New Mexico, most of Arizona and Colorado, and parts of Oklahoma, Kansas, and Wyoming.
China's debt overhang far exceeds the burdens facing the United States. As recently as 2020, total debt in the United States relative to GDP exceeded China's. But as of mid-2022, China's relative debt burden stood 40 percent higher than America's.
China has little overseas debt, and a high national savings rate. In addition, most of the debt is state owned – state-controlled banks loaned funds to state-controlled firms – giving the government the ability to manage the situation.
According to usafacts.org, as of January 2023, Japan owned $1.1 trillion in US Treasuries, making it the largest foreign holder of the national debt. The second-largest holder is China, which owned $859 billion of US debt.
Is America still a rich country?
Yes, America is the richest country in the world, with an overall net worth of $145.8 trillion and a GDP of $25.46 trillion. America has been the richest country in the world for over 60 years.
The integration of far-flung settlements required new technologies — steam engines, canals and railroads — setting the country on a natural course to industrial development. In sum, slavery and conquest created the foundation upon which the U.S. economy grew.
Monaco. In terms of sheer GDP per capita, Monaco's value of $234,317 USD for the year 2021 stands far above that of any other country. Like Liechtenstein, Monaco is a microstate, the smallest country in Europe other than Vatican City.
Foreign investors are not allowed to buy land in China. The land in China belongs to the state and the collectives.
Country of Foreign Investor | Total Acres | Total Land Value (US$) |
---|---|---|
France | 1,315,748 | 2,974,709,000 |
Japan | 636,258 | 2,959,088,000 |
Sweden | 688,801 | 2,424,373,000 |
China | 383,935 | 2,103,781,000 |
Recent reporting shows that a CCP-affiliated corporation purchased farmland in North Dakota that is just a stone's throw from high-capability military bases. The purchase raises the possibility that the Chinese government could use the farmland as a launching pad for espionage under the guise of operating a business.
1 Foreign governments hold a large portion of the public debt, while the rest is owned by U.S. banks and investors, the Federal Reserve, state and local governments, mutual funds, pensions funds, insurance companies, and holders of savings bonds.
The financial position of the United States includes assets of at least $269.6 trillion (1576% of GDP) and debts of $145.8 trillion (852% of GDP) to produce a net worth of at least $123.8 trillion (723% of GDP){{refn|name=position|group=lower-alpha|See section Estimated financial position, Q1 2014 for calculations.