SENDAI — In less than two months, Pacific Rim countries are expected to present a clear picture on how they will pursue their long-term vision of creating a regionwide free-trade zone.
The concept, dubbed the Free Trade Area of the Asia-Pacific, has yet to be defined in detail, but Japan appears to be paying more attention to the idea of joining a U.S.-backed multilateral trans-Pacific free-trade pact that is seen as the potential core framework for the FTAAP.
One sign has come from Akihiro Ohata, new head of the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry. Ohata told a news conference just days after assuming his new post that he is eager to consider joining the so-called Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPP).