Japanese PM highlights TPP during ASEAN summits

Email|Print|Comments       twitter     facebook     Sina Microblog     reddit    

BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN, Oct. 10 -- Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said here Thursday that the U.S.-led Trans- Pacific Partnership (TPP) is "a pathway to realize a market befitting the growth center of the 21st century."

Abe made the remarks at a press conference after the 16th ASEAN Plus Three Summit on Thursday, ASEAN-Japan Summit Wednesday in Brunei and the latest TPP summit on Tuesday in Bali, Indonesia.

The Bali summit marked the 20th round of negotiation on TPP free trade pact involving 12 nations in a bid to solve outstanding problems such as the tariff of most sensitive products.

Abe said his ruling Liberal Democratic Party will not run against its election campaign promises, saying "Japan will defend what it should defend so as to pursue Japan's national interests" in the TPP negotiations.

As to Japan-ASEAN relations, Abe said that cooperative relations between the two sides need to be upgraded to a higher dimension and further cooperation should be carried out in healthcare, urban development and disaster management.

This year marks the 40th anniversary of ASEAN-Japan Friendship and Cooperation and the two sides will hold in December in Tokyo a commemorative summit, according to Abe.

• Japan's TPP flip-flop likely to draw harsh reprisals
• TPP will likely bring more challenges than benefits to Vietnam's footwear industry
• Commentary: TPP talks crippled by inherent problems
• TPP meeting to present tariff-free items
• Japan, U.S. to meet on TPP next week in Tokyo
• Malaysia hosts 18th round of TPP negotiations
• Debate on China's TPP role regains momentum
• U.S., Australian leaders stress importance of TPP talks
• China weighs choices on pacific trade pacts: experts
• Japanese PM kicks off 3-nation visit in Europe

We Recommend

• 2013 Colour Me Rad 5K run held in Canada
• China's destroyer Qingdao sails out of Sydney Harbor
• Chinese tycoon aims to restore London's Crystal Palace
• Typhoon Fitow affects 4.56 million people in east China
• Game for the brave: 'Spiders' in Yandang Mountains
• Travel peak witnessed on last day of National Day holiday
• New couples take wedding photos during holiday
• Serena Williams stumbles through to quarterfinals
• Thailand Mobile Expo 2013 kicks off