CRI听力:Abe Hints to Delay Consumption Tax Hike

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is hinting that he may delay a second consumption tax hike.

Abe made the comment during an interview with the UK's Financial Times, stating that "if the economy derails and if it decelerates, there will be no increase in tax revenues so it would render the whole exercise meaningless."

Without the delay, the tax would have been hiked to 10 percent.

The last hike, earlier this year, was from 5 to 8 percent.

Japan's economy shrunk more than 7 percent in the second quarter following the tax increase.