KYOTO — Kansai's corporate leaders concluded their annual seminar Thursday by calling on Prime Minister Naoto Kan's government to swiftly join the Trans-Pacific Partnership free-trade agreement, and for increased investment in infrastructure projects they say are necessary for the region to compete with Asia.

"Kansai aims to become an Asian hub for goods, people and knowledge. For that, Kansai airport and the Osaka-Kobe harbor area need to be made internationally competitive, and the linear bullet train needs to extended to Osaka," a declaration released at the end of the Kansai Economic Seminar said.

Much of the discussion at this year's meeting focused on local politics, especially Osaka Gov. Toru Hashimoto's efforts to revitalize Osaka.