politics

Abe tells U.N. Japan to pursue free trade; hopes to meet North's Kim

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Dango

Good point.

I wonder how he managed to keep a straight face while giving his speech to the UN,especially considering he is the prime minister of a country that imposes a 777% tariff on imported rice.

10 ( +13 / -3 )

Hahaha... Japan and "free trade" is an oxymoron when put in the same sentence unless negative. They want "free trade" without lifting any protectionist measures, hence they've scuttled the numerous chances at agreements already attempted, and single-handedly delayed the original TPP long enough for Trump to waltz in and kick it to the curb completely. Japan wants everything, while being exempt from doing anything.

10 ( +11 / -1 )

Japan and free trade? Maybe if you eliminate foods, electronics, cars, computers and beverages from the equation.

9 ( +11 / -2 )

What is this "Free trade" thing Abe speaks of? It is not anything that Japan wants to touch with a ten foot chopstick. If free trade is implemented how can he keep helping out the farmers who back him continually back him at the expense of regular Japanese consumers. This will never happen. He is only paying lip service to the audience, but once he comes home he will be singing a different song.

9 ( +11 / -2 )

Free trade? They why do products on Amazon Japan cost 7 times more than on Amazon.com? Which by the way can not be sent to Japan? That's not free trade that gouging. So he should have said "free gouging" He is not about improving the average persons life, it's about his corporate mates baby.

9 ( +10 / -1 )

Most of us live on a planet called earth, Shinzo lives on a planet called de Nile

6 ( +7 / -1 )

When it comes to laughter, Trump’s speech wasn’t a patch on Abe’s pure comedy gold.

6 ( +6 / -0 )

It's just another Abe’s fine-sounding speech. Every top-leaders of many countries has the program to talk at the UN assembly and Abe wasn’t an exception. He said about the free trade and a "win-win" relationship with the United States, a "new start" with North Korea soon, the "relationship" with Russia concerning the territorial issue should be resolved and a peace treaty signed. Let's see if his "awaken" dreams will be realized for those speech topic issues before he is in his grave.

5 ( +5 / -0 )

Abe is flying around the world. He is not giving time to the opposition parties to question him at the diet.

5 ( +5 / -0 )

"Best Friend of Trump" Japanese Prime Minister Abe still keeps ignoring Criticism of UN special rapporteur about Privacy,Freedom of Speech and Human Rights for several years.

and Discrimination such as Anti-LGBT is rampant in Japanese Society,

Self-Censorship spread among Major Media of Japan.

5 ( +5 / -0 )

Hey come on you guys! Japan and Abe are all about free trade! Y'know-

just like the LDP is Liberal and Democratic or

The Democratic Republic of North Korea is Democratic...

4 ( +5 / -1 )

I wonder how he managed to keep a straight face while giving his speech to the UN,especially considering he is the prime minister of a country that imposes a 777% tariff on imported rice.

Is rice the only thing you know about? Besides rice, what tariffs does Japan place on imported products?

FYI, there are other ways around stopping imports and it's not just about tariffs. Japan has a propensity to negotiate trade agreements that will eventually limit or eliminate tariffs and other import barriers, in about 25 to 50 years in the future. It's to give their own markets time to adjust!

Japan negotiates deals that kick the problems down on the children in nursery school today. They are the one's that have to deal with the red ink and bad management! No thank you Mr Abe!

4 ( +5 / -1 )

World, meet "Tatemae".

4 ( +5 / -1 )

If Abe wants to teach the world about his idea of free trade, maybe every country in the world which imports rice from Japan should learn from him and impose a 777% tariff upon it.

Frankly though, I think that nothing can really be learned from Japan these days. Years of protectionoism, has turned the Land of the Rising Sun into the Land of the Rising Rot.

3 ( +5 / -2 )

Nobody laughed here.

But then the seriousness east asia is attacking the environment without responsibility, how can it continue?

3 ( +3 / -0 )

crickets in the seats

1 ( +2 / -1 )

Must be crickets! Because there are few heads to be seen in the photo.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

So the rest of the world should lower its living standards to match Japan's, that's fair trade.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

Trade is vital to Japan, as simple as that. Abe's policies are all wrong in the past 5 years, ignoring fundamental benefits and strategic nature of the trade to Japan. Will Abe get it right in next 3 years ? We will see, not in speech, but in practise.

-2 ( +0 / -2 )

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