. >>> japan and the united states have begun working-level talks on a transpacific partnership, or tpp, a regional free trade agreement. two days of talks in washington from thursday. japan is expected to tell the u.s. whether it will reach a decision on whether or not to join the tpp by june. the u.s. is expected to say it will welcome japan's sxags explain negotiations already under way among nine countries including australia and singapore. the talks are likely to cover agricultural issues. japanese farmers oppose the liberalization of rice imports and the country has been restricting u.s. beef imports. japanese and u.s. officials also met at the u.s. energy department to discuss rare earth minerals. these are the first japan-u.s. working-level talks on the diversification of such resources. >>> china says it will allow some of its companies to make direct overseas investments in yuan. the chinese government apparently aims to promote the internationalization of its currency. the people's bank of china made the announcement on thursday night. according to the central bank, the new r

. >> he also stressed the necessity of joining negotiations to enter the free trade agreement or tpp. >> translator: i think we also need to consider the possibility of joining economic partnerships including the tpp. we are trying to figure out what agriculture reforms would be needed and ways to support farmers. >> kan believes the opposition parties cannot refuse to talk about the issues of national importance. he hopes this will convince opposition parties to cooperate in passing the budget, but the opposition parties maintain that kan hasn't even convinced members of his own party on these controversial issues and say they are not ready to have talks with kan just yet. >> kan may not win cooperation from the opposition on the budget? >> well, they are also demanding changes from the main part of the government budget plan, including eliminating child benefits program. but i don't think kan will be able to meet demands so easily because many of them were part of the ruling dpj's campaign promises to the public when he took power last year. >> now what does the future hold for the

in january to gather information about the transpacific partnership or tpp. the government will decide whether to join negotiations on the tariff abolishing pact as early as this summer. prime minister naoto kan hopes to make 2011 the start of an era to "open up japan" in his new year's statement on saturday. but agriculture and fisheries cooperative strongly opposed japan joining epas and the tpp saying the pacts will bring about the collapse of japan's farming and fishing industries. the u.s. and the eu want japan to reduce nontariff barriers including auto safety standards and regulations on the approval of medical devices. >>> japan is a country often hit by earthquakes. this year the government will draw up plans to deal with three huge quakes that may hit the country at the same time. the so-called tokai, tonankai and nankai could hit the coast at the same time or one after another. they have happened every 100 to 150 years causing huge tsunamis. seven years ago, the government estimated the three quakes would kill up to 25,000 people. but its current p