Japanese upper house begins US trade deal discussion
(VOVWORLD) - Lawmakers in Japan's Upper House of the Diet have begun deliberating the country's new trade pact with the United States.
Prime Minister Abe Shinzo said the deal will be necessary if Japan is to play a part in economic vitality overseas as it faces a declining population at home. Abe said Japan has taken the initiative in the creation of a global free trade zone.
It consists of the Trans-Pacific Partnership, the Economic Partnership Agreement with the European Union and the Japan-US pact, accounting for 60 percent of the global economy. This is a great opportunity for Japan, he said.
Abe also said Japan will continue to pursue arrangements that are in line with its national interests.