WASHINGTON, United States (Reuters) — Vice President Mike Pence underscored U.S. support for Japan on the North Korea issue on Monday (October 16), as he met with Deputy Prime Minister Taro Aso to try and find common ground on thorny trade issues, during their second round of bilateral economic talks in Washington.
The U.S. delegation led by Pence has said his administration hopes the talks, which kicked off in April, will lead to negotiations on a two-way trade deal that will give U.S. goods more access to Japanese markets.
Deputy Prime Minister Taro Aso, who heads the Japanese team, hopes to diffuse such calls with cooperation on infrastructure and energy, for fear a two-way trade agreement would expose it to stronger U.S. pressure to open up politically sensitive markets like farm products and beef.
Pence, Aso and U.S. Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross attended the meeting
President Donald Trump campaigned for office saying he would boost U.S. manufacturing jobs and shrink the country’s trade deficit. He also abandoned the 12-nation Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) and vowed to focus on two-way agreements. Japan is opposed to two-way talks and negotiating on a TPP deal without the United States.
Trump heads to Asia in early November.
