On Friday I will host the 2019 Group of 20 summit in Osaka. Our agenda will focus on three key issues, each of which is particularly important for Asia.
The first agenda item concerns what I believe is the most important challenge of our times: working to maintain and ultimately strengthen the international order for free and fair trade. For Asia's leaders, this means forging the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), an advanced free-trade agreement between the 10 members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and the six Indo-Pacific states (Australia, China, India, Japan, South Korea and New Zealand).
Those discussions have gone on for some time. We must now make a dash toward the goal line.