U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry assured China's Premier Li Keqiang the United States was committed to resolving a fiscal impasse after the Chinese leader raised the issue in a meeting on the sidelines of an Asian summit in Brunei, a senior State Department official said on Thursday.
The official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Kerry made clear that the U.S. government shutdown, now in its ninth day, and friction over the U.S. budget "is a moment in Washington politics and reaffirmed the President's commitment to resolving the issue."
The official said the debt issue was "briefly referenced" during the meeting.
China is the biggest holder of U.S. debt and some Chinese officials have raised concerns over a drawn-out crisis in Washington. According to data from the U.S. Treasury, Beijing holds $1.28 trillion (803.51 billion pounds) of Treasury debt. It also has additional U.S. agency debt.
Source: Reuters
