TOKYO: Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said on Monday he believed US President Donald Trump understood the value of free trade and that he would keep pitching a multinational trade pact that Trump’s administration has vowed to exit.
“I believe President Trump understands the importance of free and fair trade, so I’d like to pursue his understanding on the strategic and economic importance of the TPP (Trans-Pacific Partnership) trade pact,” Abe told a session of parliament’s lower house.
Abe also said he wanted to strengthen the U. S.-Japan security alliance, based on mutual trust with Trump.
“When we met last time, I believed him to be trustworthy, this belief has not changed today,” Abe added, referring to his November meeting with then-president-elect Trump.
