JAPAN TODAY

TOKYO — Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said Monday he aims to strengthen his political base by winning an upper house election this summer, while underscoring the importance of the recently agreed free trade area among Pacific nations.

“In order to achieve results, we need a stable basis. We have to win the House of Councillors election,” Abe told a meeting of supporters in Shimonoseki, Yamaguchi Prefecture.

As members of the Trans-Pacific Partnership broadly agreed in October to create a 12-nation free trade bloc, covering 40% of the world economy, Abe said it will bring a “significant chance for Japan.”

While expected to help boost Japanese exports, the trade liberalization deal will also likely expose domestic farmers to fierce competition with cheaper imports, sparking criticism of the government in rural areas where agriculture is a key industry.

Abe arrived in his constituency in western Japan on Sunday and attended meetings with supporters in which he said he will continue pushing his policy of stimulating the country’s economy.

He also indicated he will step up unilateral sanctions against North Korea following its fourth nuclear test last week.

© KYODO