WASHINGTON - Total foreign holdings of US Treasury securities continued to rise in February, indicating rising international demand for American government debt, US Treasury Department reported Monday.

Overall foreign holdings of the US Treasury securities reached $5.6569 trillion in February, up from a revised $5.6430 trillion in January. It was the fourteenth consecutive monthly increase.

According to the Treasury International Capital report, China, the largest foreign holder of the US Treasury securities, boosted its holdings by $8.7 billion to $1.2229 trillion.

Japan, the second largest foreign holder of the US government debt, trimmed its holdings from $1.1039 trillion in January to $1.0971 trillion in February.