日本最大反对党：应把扩大自由贸易协定作为与美国进行关税谈判的筹码

Core Viewpoint - The leader of Japan's largest opposition party, the Constitutional Democratic Party, suggests that Japan should leverage the expansion of regional free trade agreements as a bargaining chip in tariff negotiations with the United States [1] Group 1: Trade Negotiations - Japan's chief negotiator recently concluded the fifth round of talks in Washington, with little indication that U.S. tariffs will be eased [1] - The opposition leader emphasizes the importance of advancing free trade to potentially prompt the U.S. to reconsider its protectionist stance [1] Group 2: Domestic Economic Policy - The upcoming Japanese Senate elections are expected to focus heavily on inflation, which may be exacerbated by Trump's trade war [1] - To address the cost of living crisis, the opposition party proposes a one-year suspension of the consumption tax and a one-time cash subsidy of 20,000 yen for each resident [1] - Funding for this initiative is suggested to come from a combination of existing fiscal resources, including fiscal reserves and surplus foreign exchange funds [1]