Japan Press Weekly

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2016 December 7 - 13 TOP3 [POLITICS]

TPP will not come into effect but will still be harmful to Japan: JCP Koike

The ruling Liberal Democratic and Komei parties together with minor opposition parties, including Nippon Ishin no Kai, on December 9 at a House of Councilors plenary session used their majority force to bulldoze through a bill to ratify the TPP and related bills. However, due to U.S. President-elect Donald Trump’s withdrawal declaration, the TPP has no possibility of going into effect.

The Japanese Communist, Democratic, Social Democratic, and Liberal parties as well as Okinawa-elected independent Upper House members voted against the bills. On the streets outside the Diet building, angry shouts by anti-TPP citizens echoed throughout the day.

Later on the same day at a press conference held in the Diet building, JCP Secretariat Head Koike Akira condemned the forcible approval of the TPP.

Koike noted that President-elect Trump has advocated promoting bilateral trade negotiations. Koike also cited the fact that at an Upper House TPP Special Committee on December 8, Foreign Minister Kishida Fumio said that the Japan-U.S. addendum to the TPP which confirms the furthering of bilateral talks in various fields will be maintained even after the multilateral trade pact fails to come into effect.

Koike said, “The forcible passage of the TPP ratification bill is totally pointless, yet still harmful to Japan. What Japan agreed to in the TPP negotiations will presumably be used in future negotiations by the U.S. government as a tool to have its demands met.”

Koike stressed that the point is not a choice between policies, free trade and protectionism. He criticized the TPP as a framework for maximizing multinational corporations’ profits, and said, “Corporate welfare and global capitalism are facing growing public anger not only in America but also in European countries.”

Koike said, “The need is for Japan to take a course action that works to establish new rules in the fields of trade and investment which respect each nation’s sovereignty over food and local economies. The JCP will continue working hard to effect desirable changes.”

Past related articles:
> Abe gov’t still sticks to pushing for TPP [November 11, 2016]
> Trump’s victory in US presidential election, high time to end Japan’s subservience to US [November 10, 2016]