Rise in Japan sales tax may hit China exporters

A staff of Aeon Co Ltd's supermarket changes a price tag under a sign informing a sales tax hike, ahead of the store's opening hours at a supermarket in Chiba, east of Tokyo, March 31, 2014. Japanese business sentiment barely improved in the three months to March and is set to sour in the following quarter, a closely watched central bank survey showed, underscoring the challenges facing Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in his efforts to reflate the economy out of stagnation. [Photo/Agencies]