U.S. President Barack Obama plans to meet Friday with the leaders of China and France at the G20 summit, which is being dominated by concern about Syria but also is focusing on economic issues.
Obama will hold talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping and French President Francois Hollande at the summit in St. Petersburg, Russia.
Friday marks the last day of the two-day summit, where most of the headlines have concerned the U.S. effort to rally international support for a military strike on Syria.
On Thursday, Obama pledged to complete a new Trans-Pacific trade agreement this year, even as roadblocks remain in forging a 12-nation pact. He discussed the pact with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe at the summit.
Obama said the Trans-Pacific Partnership would open markets in the rapidly developing region.
Whether the trade deal is completed by the end of the year is an open question.
It would be the largest free trade agreement in U.S. history. But nine days of negotiations in Brunei ended inconclusively. New talks are set for Washington in mid-September, with some key stumbling blocks related to U.S. efforts to protect its large pharmaceutical industry and Japan's concern
Obama will hold talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping and French President Francois Hollande at the summit in St. Petersburg, Russia.
Friday marks the last day of the two-day summit, where most of the headlines have concerned the U.S. effort to rally international support for a military strike on Syria.
On Thursday, Obama pledged to complete a new Trans-Pacific trade agreement this year, even as roadblocks remain in forging a 12-nation pact. He discussed the pact with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe at the summit.
Obama said the Trans-Pacific Partnership would open markets in the rapidly developing region.
Whether the trade deal is completed by the end of the year is an open question.
It would be the largest free trade agreement in U.S. history. But nine days of negotiations in Brunei ended inconclusively. New talks are set for Washington in mid-September, with some key stumbling blocks related to U.S. efforts to protect its large pharmaceutical industry and Japan's concern
