Japan says TPP is “Meaningless” without America after Trump Announcement
Noriko Watanabe and Lee Jay Walker
Modern Tokyo Times
The President-elect of America, Donald Trump, announced that he would quit the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) immediately after taking office. Not surprisingly, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe of Japan was quick to stress that the TPP is “meaningless” without America. Therefore, Abe, who invested much time and political persuasion to support TPP, is indicating that it is dead and buried without America’s participation.
According to Trump, the TPP is detrimental towards the workers of America. Instead, Trump emphasized the need to foster bilateral accords that serve the interests of America.
Trump condemned the TPP by saying it was “a potential disaster for our country.”
Trump further stressed, “My agenda will be based on a simple core principle: putting America first. Whether it’s producing steel, building cars or curing disease, I want the next generation of production and innovation to happen right here on our great homeland, America, creating wealth and jobs for American workers.”
Abe immediately commented that the TPP “would be meaningless without the United States.”
Other nations were not so quick to distance themselves from the TPP. Yet, once more, it seems that Japan is following the policy agenda of America – irrespective if President Obama or the President-elect Trump. Of course, Abe may well be correct to state that the TPP is dead and buried without America. However, the lack of consultancy with fellow nations that had promised to ratify this trade deal says much about the current status of Japan in relation to America.
Abe also made it clear that the TPP couldn’t be renegotiated despite some nations hoping to modify this trade agreement. The leader of Japan said any forms of renegotiation, “…would disturb the fundamental balance of benefits.”
Modern Tokyo News is part of the Modern Tokyo Times group
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