Japanese Finance Minister Taro Aso says he would welcome a decision by the United States to explore rejoining the Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP), but would need to verify the facts.
US President Donald Trump on Thursday revealed he has asked his trade officials to explore the possibility of the US rejoining the TPP, a free trade deal he pulled out of during his first days in office.
"If it's true, I would welcome it," Aso told reporters after a cabinet meeting.
He said he expected Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Trump to discuss the TPP at their summit meeting next week.
But he added that he needed to verify facts carefully.
Trump "is a person who could change temperamentally, so he may say something different the next day", Aso said.
The United States took part in TPP negotiations under Trump's predecessor but the president withdrew the United States from it early last year under his "America First" policy, raising fears of trade protectionism.
"After the U.S. withdrawal, Japan, recognising the significance of free trade, has led the initiative in pulling together the TPP 11," Aso said, referring to the other members of the pact.
"Our efforts have borne fruit if the United States judged it would be better to rejoin," he said.
