China's outstanding foreign debt was 441.95 billion U.S. dollars through September, up about 18.3 percent from the end of 2007, the State Administration of Foreign Exchange (SAFE) said on Friday.

The figure excluded Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan.

Medium- and long-term foreign debt was 161.9 billion U.S. dollars, up 5.45 percent from the end of 2007, accounting for 36.63 percent of the total foreign debt.

Short-term debt was 280 billion U.S. dollars, up 27.24 percent from the end of last year.

SAFE figures showed the country's registered foreign debt had reached 288.15 billion U.S. dollars by the end of September.

Of the total, sovereign debt accounted for nearly 12 percent. Debt owed by Chinese financial institutions was 108.22 billion U.S. dollars, or 37.56 percent of the total. Debt of foreign-invested enterprises was 93.21 billion U.S. dollars, or 32.35 percent.

SAFE said new debt reached 27.38 billion U.S. dollars, including medium- and long-term foreign debt, in the first nine months, up 7.49 percent year-on-year.

China repaid 13.78 billion U.S. dollars of principal on medium- and long-term debt in the first nine months, down 6.62 percent year-on-year.

It also repaid 2.96 billion U.S. dollars in interest on medium- and long-term debt, up 10.88 percent year-on-year.

(Xinhua News Agency December 26, 2008)