Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has suggested that Japan is open to bilateral free trade talks with the United States following President Donald Trump's move to pull the U.S. out of the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) free trade pact.
Abe's suggestion comes as it has become evident that Japan needs to seek a realistic economic partnership with Washington now that the TPP agreement is unlikely to come into force. However, Japanese government officials are worried that the U.S. will push Tokyo hard for compromises over trade liberalization.
In a Jan. 26 House of Representatives Budget Committee session, Prime Minister Abe emphasized that Japan "would like to maintain its position to patiently try to persuade the United States" to return to the TPP.
However, President Trump announced on Jan. 20 -- the very day he took office -- that he will pull the U.S. out of the TPP, and signed an executive order on Jan. 23 to withdraw from the pact. Since the TPP agreement cannot come into force unless approved by the U.S., many within the Japanese government believe it is impossible for the TPP to come into force as long as Trump is in office.
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