Japan withdraws the argument that "Holding US debt could be used as leverage in negotiations with the US."

Japan has once again reversed its stance on using US Treasury bonds as a negotiation tool against the United States. According to the Nikkei newspaper, Japanese Finance Minister Taro Aso stated on Sunday that Japan has no intention of using the possibility of selling its holdings of US Treasury bonds to gain an advantage in trade negotiations with the US, and Japan does not consider selling US Treasury bonds as a tool in negotiations with the US. Aso had previously stated on Friday that although Japan would not easily sell its US Treasury holdings, they could be used as a "card" in negotiations with the US on trade issues, but he overturned this statement during a news conference on Sunday. The Japanese Ministry of Finance reported that as of the end of March, Japan held $1.27 trillion in foreign exchange reserves, most of which are in US Treasury bonds. Foreign exchange reserves can be used to intervene in the foreign exchange market. In April, Aso had ruled out the possibility of using Japan's holdings of US Treasury bonds as a negotiation tool.