IN BRIEF (Page 14)

Debt rises

China's overall foreign debt rose to $427.4 billion at the end of June from $392.6 billion at the end of March, the State Administration of Foreign Exchange (SAFE) said yesterday.

Short-term debt accounted for $28.7 billion, or 82.5 percent, of the $34.8 billion increase. Total short-term debt reached $265.4 billion at the end of June, accounting for 62.1 percent of the total debt, SAFE said. It was 60.3 percent at the end of March and 58.9 percent at the end of 2007.