On the sidelines of the economic summit, Obama also had a brief encounter with Russian President Vladimir Putin, a close ally of Chinese President Xi Jinping who has been locked in conflict with Obama over his country’s actions in Ukraine.
Key obstacles to completing the deal remain, including Japan’s objection to opening its markets to foreign competition, and U.S. officials said after the meeting that a final agreement was still a ways off.
Republicans, who tend to favor trade deals, won control of both chambers of Congress, making it more likely Obama can secure up-or-down approval for a final vote on the …read more
Source: San Francisco Chronicle
