Ten billion yuan (1.64 billion U.S. dollars) in five-year book-entry treasury bonds have been issued by China's Ministry of Finance, the government department announced Monday.

It is the ministry's first issuance of book-entry treasury bonds this year, according to a ministry statement.

The interest rate for the bonds is fixed at 4.47 percent.

Interest will be paid annually on Jan. 7, [Company Registration in USA]while last year's interest and the principal will both be paid upon maturity on Jan. 7, 2019, the ministry said.

The bonds are being sold on the inter-bank bond market until Jan. 7 and will become tradable on Jan. 13, according to the statement.