Thank you very much, MP Dhaliwal, for sharing your time with me.
Mr. Ambassador, it's wonderful to see you here. Thank you very much for your hospitality many times.
As Mr. Dhaliwal mentioned, we had an opportunity to visit Japan just about a month ago. We were a very diverse group of senators and MPs: Conservatives, NDPs, and Liberals. We had an opportunity to have a dialogue with the Diet. I was leading the discussion, putting the information out about trade, and that morning the news broke that President Trump had signed the executive order on the TPP.
One of the questions we ask, which this particular committee is also talking about, is this. Does it make sense that Japan, while it pursues the TPP, also enter into a bilateral discussion with Canada? Basically the idea was to do it mutually. There are benefits in doing a mutual discussion about a bilateral with Canada since you are our fifth largest trading partner.
My second question has to do with the regional comprehensive trade negotiation. The feeling is that if we begin those negotiations, that also would put pressure on the United States to get into the trade game and not be as protectionist.
Mr. Ambassador.