TOKYO—Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe upped the pressure on Justin Trudeau this week by publicly suggesting his Canadian counterpart’s positions had budged on a pair of prickly international files.
Following a bilateral meeting with the visiting Canadian prime minister in Tokyo on Tuesday, May 24, Abe read a statement to reporters saying the two leaders shared “serious concern” about the territorial dispute that involved the “building of outposts” in the South China Sea.
Speaking through an interpreter, Abe also said that Japan would continue to make efforts to seek early ratification of the controversial Trans-Pacific Partnership treaty (TPP) “together with Canada.”
But Canada’s interpretation of the meeting was somewhat different on those two issues.
Trudeau initially made no mention of the contentious South China Sea dispute in remarks that followed Abe’s. As for the TPP, the government has made clear it is taking its time to review the 12-country Pacific Rim trade agreement before deciding to ratify.
Japan is embroiled in an ongoing territorial dispute with China in the East China Sea and South China Sea. China has been constructing islands despite the concerns of several Asian countries with territorial claims in the area.
