Foreign demand for U.S. Treasury securities rose to a record high in October, a sign that overseas investors are confident in U.S. debt despite a potential budget crisis. The Treasury Department said Monday that total foreign holdings rose to $5.48 trillion in October, up 0.1 percent from the previous month. China, the biggest holder of U.S. government debt, increased its holdings slightly to$1.16 trillion. Japan, the second-biggest holder, increased its holdings by a smaller amount to $1.14 trillion. Brazil, the country with the third-largest holdings, increased to $255.2 billion. Investors continue to seek the perce3ived safety of U.S. Treasurys, even as lawmakers and President Barack Obama remain divided over whether to raise the U.S. borrowing limit as part of a broader budget deal.