Scandal-ridden Gao City cabinet approval rate hits record low

China News Service, October 18th. Recently, the cabinet scandals that have been exposed one after another have had a continuous impact on the high city cabinet support rate. The latest poll results released by Japan's Kyodo News on the 18th showed that the support rate of Takaichi Sanae's cabinet fell to 49.1%, falling below 50% for the first time since taking office in October last year, a new low.

At the same time, as the approval rate of the cabinet continues to be under pressure, the Japanese government has been revealed to be considering further increasing corporate taxes to raise funds for defense expenses that are expected to increase significantly. The relevant plans may trigger opposition from the economic community.

Cabinet scandals continue to simmer, and Gao City’s cabinet support continues to decline. The latest Kyodo News investigation results show that the controversy caused by Liang Hesheng, the former Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries in the Gao City Cabinet, continues to ferment due to inappropriate remarks and suspected violations of the Public Office Election Act. 57.7% of the respondents believed that it was "too late" for Gaoshi to replace Liang Hesheng. In addition, 54.7% of the respondents believe that Liang Hesheng's resignation will have a negative impact on the governance of the Gao City Cabinet.

In addition, the Kyodo News poll also showed that in terms of economic policy, 65.1% of the respondents expressed concern about the negative impact that the Takashima Cabinet's blind consumption tax reduction may have on Japan's finances.

Previously, the October opinion poll released by Jiji News Agency on October 15 also showed that the support rate of the high city cabinet set a new record low, falling 1.7 percentage points from the previous month to 42.4%. The media noted that this was the fifth consecutive month of decline.

As the cabinet scandal raises questions, Kyodo News Agency disclosed on the 17th that in the face of rising defense costs, the Japanese government is also considering further increasing corporate corporate taxes to ensure stable financial resources.

According to reports, the Japanese government is advancing the revision of the "Three Security Documents". Among them, the new round of "Defense Force Preparation Plan" covering the fiscal year 2027 to 2031 proposes to purchase large quantities of drones and increase ammunition and missile reserves to prepare for long-term operations. Senior Japanese government sources said that if estimates are based on the needs of the Ministry of Defense, Japan's total defense expenditure "may expand to 70 trillion to 80 trillion yen" in the next five years.

In this regard, Kyodo News pointed out that because the relevant plans may affect wage increases and weaken international competitiveness, the relevant plans may trigger opposition from the economic community, and relevant discussions are expected to face twists and turns.