Abe describes Japan-US trade deal as “win-win”

October 9, 2019

Tokyo--Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said Tuesday that a just-signed bilateral trade deal with the United States is a "win-win" pact.

"Thanks to the win-win deal, both countries' economies will develop," Abe told U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, a Texas Republican, in a meeting at the prime minister's office in Tokyo.

Cruz said the trade pact is wonderful also for farmers and ranchers in Texas. The two countries signed the deal in Washington Monday, a pact expected to go into force in January.

During their meeting, Abe and Cruz shared the view that it is important to bolster the Japan-U.S. alliance.

Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Cruz said, "I'm...glad for the strong position that Japan has taken in dealing with...the threat posed by North Korea and also in dealing with the military expansionism coming from China."

The Japan-U.S. alliance "is critically important for standing up to that threat," he said. Jiji Press