Pence, Abe stress pressure on N. Korea
Japan trade imbalance also among U.S. topics
TOKYO — Vice President Mike Pence and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Tuesday reaffirmed the need to keep sanctions on North Korea to achieve its denuclearization as they showcased their bilateral alliance, while Pence also urged Japan to do more to reduce the U.S. trade deficit.
Pence and Abe also agreed to deepen cooperation in promoting energy, infrastructure and providing loans to nations in the region.
Pence said the U.s.-japan alliance is a “cornerstone” of the region’s peace and prosperity and said Japan is not only an ally but a friend, but that Japan needs to do more to reduce the bilateral trade imbalance.
“Japan is an indispensable trade partner for the United States,” he said. “The United States has had a trade imbalance with Japan for too long.”
U.S. products and services often face barriers to compete fairly in Japanese market, Pence said. He said economic dialogue over the past two years have addressed some issues, but “the best opportunities for free, fair and reciprocal trade will come in a bilateral agreement.”
Abe and President Donald Trump agreed in September to start bilateral free trade talks, which are expected to begin early next year. Pence also said he expected Japan’s increased “investment” in stepping up the country’s defense. Japan’s Deputy Chief Secretary Yasutoshi Nishimura told reporters later that Japan limited defense purchases to necessities and no details were discussed Tuesday.
Abe said Japan is willing to expand trade and investment “to make it mutually beneficial for Japan and the U.S. in order to seek free and open economic development in the Indo-pacific region under fair rules.”
Pence was to leave later Tuesday to attend a meeting of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations in Singapore and an Asia-pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Papua New Guinea on behalf of Trump.