China's total foreign debt rises 2.5 percent

China's total foreign debt rose 2.5 percent in 2014 to $895.5 billion, but debt repayment risks were under control, the country's foreign exchange regulator said on Tuesday. China's total foreign debt in 2014 was equivalent to 8.64 percent of gross domestic product, while its short-term debt was equivalent to 17.78 percent of the country's foreign exchange reserves, the State Administration of Foreign Exchange said.
Those debt ratios were within the internationally accepted safety levels, it added.
"Our country's overall foreign debt risks are under control," it said in a statement on its website..
The medium- and long-term debt rose 7.5 percent last year to $274.4 billion, accounting for 30.6 percent of the total, the SAFE said.
The short-term foreign debt, which is considered riskier, edged up 0.4 percent in 2014 to $621.1 billion, accounting for 69.4 percent of the total, it said.