Japan likely held off US Treasury sales, says ex-BOJ policymaker
TOKYO (Reuters) -Japan likely held off selling from its huge U.S. Treasury holdings as there is no alternative investment given the dollar's status as a global reserve currency, former Bank of Japan (BOJ) policymaker Sayuri Shirai said on Thursday. Japan and China are the two largest holders of U.S. Treasuries, making their presence a huge focus of attention whenever U.S. yields spike. Although both countries say little about their trading, the huge U.S. Treasury sell-off in April has led to market speculation they could have, or might have, unloaded their holdings.