On Tuesday Tokyo turned down — at least for now — an Australian proposal to revise the Trans-Pacific Partnership free trade agreement, saying a TPP deal without the U.S. is "meaningless."

Tokyo said it will instead continue to urge Washington to get on board as other member nations look to salvage the deal, said Koichi Hagiuda, deputy chief cabinet secretary, during a daily news briefing.

Hagiuda's comments came a day after U.S. President Donald Trump signed an executive order to end U.S. participation in the 12-country pact.