WASHINGTON - China's holdings of US Treasuries decreased to $1.121 trillion in March after a three-month rising streak, according to the data released Monday by the US Department of the Treasury.

Still the largest foreign holder of US Treasuries, China held $1.131 trillion of US Treasuries in February, a slight increase from a month earlier.

Japan's holdings of US Treasuries increased to $1.078 trillion in March, up from the $1.072 trillion in February.

Combined, China and Japan hold more than one third of the total foreign holdings of US Treasuries.

Aggregating net foreign acquisitions of long-term securities, short-term US securities and banking flows, the result was a $8.1 billion net foreign outflow of US securities in March, the data showed.