TOKYO (`) — The United States hopes to deepen trade ties with Japan as it strengthens economic security cooperation with its Asian allies and partners, the top US trade envoy said Wednesday.
US Trade Representative Katherine Tai’s visit to Tokyo follows a trip to the Philippine capital of Manila, which she said highlights a newly emerging partnership between the three countries in building both economic and defense ties.
Tai met with Japanese Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi to discuss making supply chains more resilient and secure, Japan’s foreign ministry said in a statement.
Tai also reviewed the status of negotiations on the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework, or IPEF, a new trade deal proposed by Washington, and stressed the importance of cooperation with Japan, it said.
The Framework has 13 members, including the US, which accounts for 40% of global gross domestic product: Australia, Brunei, India, Indonesia, Japan, South Korea, Malaysia, New Zealand, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.
Hayashi then welcomed greater US involvement in the regional economy and said Japan will proactively discuss the plan with other partners.
Japan and the United States have promoted multilateral cooperation, most recently with the Philippines, as they share common concerns about China’s growing influence and assertiveness in both security and economic activities.
But the US has stepped up diplomacy across the region, with Secretary of State Antony Blinken making a stopover in Vietnam over the weekend, which Washington sees as a key component of its strategy for the region given the country’s traditional rivalry with its much larger neighbor China.
Tai also met with Economy, Trade and Industry Minister Yasutoshi Nishimura on Wednesday. The Commerce Department said the two had discussed strengthening supply chains — an issue that has gained urgency amid shortages of computer chips and other goods during the pandemic. They also discussed ways to work together to protect human rights in business, the ministry said.
Japan and the United States have set up a task force aimed at eliminating human rights abuses in international supply chains and banning the use of materials from suppliers who subject their workers to inhumane conditions.
To highlight these efforts, Tai toured a store of outdoor gear and apparel retailer Patagonia in Tokyo’s popular Shibuya shopping and business district.
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