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.
