As the government shutdown continues into its second week, there are 12 holders of U.S. Treasuries with over $250 billion in U.S. government debt that would have the most to lose if the country defaulted by going over the debt ceiling on Oct. 17.
In fact, two of the largest holders of the Federal government's debt, Japan and China, separately called upon the U.S. to resolve the political gridlock and warned of the dire consequences that may result if policymaker can't reach a compromise.
Japanese finance minister Taro Aso noted on Tuesday, "The U.S. must avoid a situation where it cannot pay [for its debt] and its triple-A ranking plunges all of a sudden. The U.S. must be fully aware that if that happens, the U.S. would fall into fiscal crisis."
The slideshow below notes the 12 largest holders of U.S. debt -- who are all likely becoming more and more worried with each passing day as the United States approaches its debt limit.
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