SYDNEY: Japan and Australia will work together to ensure the Trans-Pacific Partnership free trade deal comes into force, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said Saturday, making no mention of strong US opposition. After talks with Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, Abe took the lead on the trade pact covering 12 Pacific Rim nations that was ratified by Japan’s parliament last month. “We agreed that we should demonstrate anew to the world the importance of free trade,” Abe told reporters. Trump says he supports free trade but that existing deals, such as the North American Free Trade Agreement between the US, Canada and Mexico, have not been fairly negotiated and do not serve US interests. Close allies Canberra and Tokyo announced Saturday a new defence deal to facilitate closer logistics support and cooperation during combined exercises, training and peace-keeping operations.

Source: New Strait Times January 14, 2017 08:41 UTC