Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda plans to hold off from making an official declaration regarding Japan's bid to participate in negotiations for the Trans-Pacific Partnership free trade agreement when he attends a summit of the Group of 20 economies in Mexico early next week, government sources said Wednesday.

Noda wants to avoid widening a split within his Democratic Party of Japan, which is already at strife over social security and tax reforms involving a hike in the consumption tax rate, the sources said.

The prime minister had been expected to officially declare Japan's participation in the TPP talks on a number of occasions, including his meeting with U.S. President Barack Obama in April and the summit of the Group of Eight countries in May.

June 14, 2012 

Source: House Of Japan

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