From The Mainichi Daily News. TOKYO (Kyodo) -- Japan will send senior officials to Australia, Malaysia and Singapore shortly for preliminary talks on its future participation in negotiations on the proposed Trans-Pacific Partnership free trade agreement, Chief Cabinet Secretary Osamu Fujimura said Thursday.

Senior Vice Minister Katsuyuki Ishida at the Cabinet Office agreed with the three countries' governments on such talks during his four-day tour of these countries that ended Wednesday, he said.

The government plans to hold a meeting of relevant senior vice ministers possibly on Monday to confirm a policy for preliminary TPP talks starting in February, a government source said. 

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