BEIJING - China in 2011 sold a net 4.0188 trillion yen ($52.22 billion) of Japanese short-term debt that matures within one year, much larger than the 430.4 billion yen net selling in the previous year, data from Japan's Ministry of Finance showed Wednesday.

China-based investors, including the government, bought a net 541.4 billion yen in bonds and notes in the last year, compared with 37.4 billion yen of net sales.

Much of the bonds, notes and money market purchases are thought to be in Japanese sovereign debt.

Meanwhile, foreigners were net buyers of Japanese government bonds in 2011, purchasing 4.7277 trillion yen on a net basis.

China held 10.49 trillion yen ($13.6 billion) in Japanese bonds - mainly government bonds - at the end of 2010, up from 3.42 trillion yen the previous year, according to Bank of Japan data.

In comparison, China currently has $1.132 trillion in American debt.