Japan will not have to vow to remove all trade tariffs if it joins the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade initiative, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and U.S. President Barack Obama confirmed Friday, setting the stage for the country's early entry into the ongoing talks.
During their summit talks, the two leaders said they also agreed to enhance security cooperation in Asia in response to North Korea's nuclear threats and China's mounting military assertiveness, which has escalated territorial disputes throughout the strategically critical region.
It was their first White House meeting since Abe and his Liberal Democratic Party administration took office in late December.