Prime Minister Shinzo Abe met U.S. presidential candidate Hillary Clinton on Monday and stressed the importance of the United States ratifying the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal that she earlier supported and now opposes, Japanese officials said.
Abe and Clinton met for about 15 minutes at Abe's hotel in New York, where he is attending the United Nations General Assembly, the officials said. The meeting was held at Clinton's request, they added.
The two stressed the importance of strengthening the U.S.-Japan security relationship and both outlined their known positions on the 12-nation TPP, said the officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity. The pact has not been ratified by either the United States or Japan.