Associated Press

Japan watchers were hoping today’s GDP figure would give some clarity to whether Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s government will push ahead with a sales-tax hike to bring rapidly-increasing debt under control.

But the number – an annualized 2.6% growth in the three months through June – has further clouded the debate over the sales tax.

The number came in lower than the 3.6% rate economists expected and is likely to give firepower to those who contend the economic recovery is too fragile to withstand such a hike at this juncture.