We now owe our foreign masters $5.48 trillion

Let's hope they don't want to collect, anytime soon. 

WASHINGTON (AP) — Foreign demand for U.S. Treasury securities rose to a record level in October, a sign that overseas investors remain confident in U.S. debt despite a potential budget crisis.

Total foreign holdings reached $5.48 trillion in October, the Treasury Department said Monday. That’s up 0.1 percent from September.

China, the largest holder of U.S. government debt, increased its holdings slightly to $1.16 trillion. Japan, the second-largest holder, boosted its holdings by a smaller amount to $1.13 trillion. Brazil, the country with the third-largest holdings, increased its total to $255.2 billion.