Japan seeks to get India in

India's exit from RCEP trade talks appeared to leave China and Japan at odds over whether to press ahead with the remaining members, or to try to find a workaround that includes Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government.

Japanese Trade Minister Hiroshi Kajiyama said on Tuesday that Tokyo would work toward a deal including India. This would keep India within the RCEP framework and be in line with Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's policy of bolstering ties with India to balance Beijing's growing power.

"Our country wants to play a leading role toward reaching an early agreement between all 16 countries, including India, with the aim of signing it in 2020," said Kajiyama, who wasn't present at the latest negotiations in Bangkok, told reporters in Tokyo.

India's exit from negotiations coincided with the most recent meeting of officials from the socalled Quad: Japan, Australia, the US and India, a security-focused grouping seen as a counter to China that has drawn Beijing's ire. The group was upgraded to ministerial level in September.

China has sought to accelerate the RCEP deal as it faces slowing growth from a trade war with the US. A China-led push would not necessarily satisfy the Japanese, who invited India to be a part of the negotiations.

"It's not desirable to have an agreement that suits China's purposes," former Japanese Defence Minister Takeshi Iwaya said in an interview.