Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe says the Trans-Pacific Partnership would be "meaningless" without the United States.

He said, "As for aiming to bring the TPP into effect without the United States, at the 12-nation meeting, there was no such discussion. TPP is meaningless without the United States. It's for the same reason that the re-negotiation is impossible. This would disturb the fundamental balance of benefits. On the policies of the incoming administration of the United States, I would like to refrain from commenting at this stage based on free judgment".