The nation will continue buying US government debt but pay close attention to possible fluctuations in the value of the assets, a vice-governor of the central bank said yesterday.

Investing in US Treasury bills is "an important component of China's foreign currency reserve investments," People's Bank of China Vice-Governor Hu Xiaolian told a news conference about President Hu Jintao's participation in the G20 financial summit in Britain next week.

"We are naturally concerned about the safety and profitability of US government bonds," she added.