According to Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Wednesday... Tokyo will delay a sales tax

hike from eight percent in April next year until late 2019.

He said the decision was made as economic weakness in China and the slowdown in emerging

markets could again push Japan into deflation. Abe claimed he wants to speed up his Abenomics

policy and stimulate economic growth. The original plan was to raise the tax last

year, but it was pushed back to April 2017 amid concerns the country's slow consumer

spending could further weaken.