World

Justin Trudeau in Japan for G7, meeting with PM Shinzo Abe

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has landed in Tokyo where he will hold bilateral visits with Japanese leaders before attending the Group of Seven summit later this week in the city of Ise-Shima.

Canadian PM will also meet with emperor and empress, as well as leaders in automotive sector

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his wife Sophie Gregoire Trudeau arrive at Haneda Airport in Tokyo ahead of the Ise-Shima G7 summit. (Thomas Peter/Reuters)
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has landed in Tokyo where he will hold a bilateral visit with Japanese leaders before
attending the Group of Seven summit later this week.

Trudeau will meet Tuesday with Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, the emperor and empress of Japan as well as automotive sector officials.

The visit comes ahead of the G7 summit on Thursday and Friday in the Japanese city of Ise-Shima.

This is Trudeau's first overseas bilateral since taking office. He plans to discuss trade, investment, security, education and the Trans-Pacific Partnership.

It's expected the prime minister will try to broaden business links with a country that was once Canada's No. 2 trading partner in his meeting with Abe.

One of the main goals of Trudeau's visit will be to try to encourage Japanese auto industry officials to invest more and to keep the plants already in Canada.

He has three big auto industry meetings.

"He will be talking with the executives of Subaru, Honda and Toyota, and also sitting in an auto parts roundtable," said CBC's Hannah Thibedeau, reporting from Tokyo.

"Trudeau is really hoping to spur some more investment in the auto sector and maintain business already in Canada."

Trudeau inspects the honour guard after arriving in Tokyo for the G7 summit. (Thomas Peter/Reuters)

In his meeting with Abe, Trudeau's office said he plans to discuss negotiations on the countries' economic partnership agreement, the Trans-Pacific Partnership, security co-operation, education and the Arctic, given Japan's relative proximity.

Japan is expected to tout the benefits for Canada of the TPP, a huge, 12-country treaty that would deepen trade connections across the Asia-Pacific region.

The pact, which Canada is reviewing, includes the major economies of Japan and the United States.

The controversial, yet-to-be-ratified TPP, negotiated by the former Conservative government, has raised concerns in several Canadian industries.

The future of the TPP is in doubt. U.S. presidential hopefuls from both the Democrats and Republicans have said they would reject the treaty.

With files from CBC's Hannah Thibedeau