It’s dead Jim

Stuff reports:

Australia has declared the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) not dead ahead of key trade talks with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in Sydney on Saturday, despite opposition to the trade pact from US President-elect Donald Trump.

The talks between Australian Prime Minister Turnbull and Abe also come amid heightened regional tension as China asserts its claims over the disputed South China Sea, setting up a potential clash with the incoming Trump administration.

“Talk of the TPP being dead is premature. We need to give the Americans time to work through this issue,” Australian Trade Minister Steven Ciobo told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) radio on Friday.

It’s dead Jim.