21.   Economists warn that a rising oil price could damage a fragile global economic recovery.

22.   Several ministers also began publicly pressuring the Bank of Japan to cut its official discount rate to weaken the yen and inject money into the fragile economic recovery.

23.   That would take the pressure off the bank to tighten monetary conditions at a time when any rate increases might stifle the still fragile economic recovery in the region.

24.   The rates increase will likely lead to similar increases by commercial banks, and economists have expressed concern that rising interest rates could choke the fragile economic recovery.