Chinese Ambassador to Japan Wu Jianghao Photo: the official WeChat accout of the Chinese Embassy in Japan

Japan is unlikely to recognize Palestinian statehood for now, government sources said Wednesday, apparently taking into account the ongoing conflict with Israel and the position of the US, Kyodo News reported. In response, Chinese Ambassador to Japan Wu Jianghao said on the X platform the same day that this is a coercive act of interference in another country's foreign policy.

The US has urged Japan not to recognize Palestine as a state at the UN General Assembly later this month, reported another Japanese media Japan Today citing diplomat sources. According to the sources, ted its opposition of the Palestinian state through multiple diplomatic channels, saying that recognition would worsen the situation, and has urged Tokyo to go along with Washington.

One US government source said if Japan recognizes the Palestinian state, it will have a significant impact on US-Japan relations, Japan Today reported.

The government is expected to announce in the coming days that it will not recognize a Palestinian state, as sources said there are concerns that recognition could harden Israel's stance and worsen the Palestinian humanitarian crisis, according to Kyodo News.

Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, who has told executives of his party that he plans to attend the UN General Assembly in New York later in the month, is not expected to participate in an international conference on the Palestine issue to be held before high-level debates at the UN headquarters, Kyodo News citing the sources reported.

Global Times