WASHINGTON - China's holdings of US Treasury securities rose for the second month in April, while Japan cut its holdings to nearly a year low.

China added $2.4 billion of the treasuries to $1.2634 trillion, up a slight 0.2 percent, the Treasury Department said on Monday. The country has boosted its US treasuries holdings for two consecutive months.

Japan, which overtook China as the biggest foreign holder in February before trading places again in March, cut its holdings by $11.2 billion in April to $1.2157 trillion.

In April, overall foreign holdings of US Treasury securities fell to $6.1373 trillion from a revised $6.1759 trillion in March, the data showed.