Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba: Differences still exist and there will be no rush to reach an agreement with the United States

Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba has said he will not rush to reach a trade deal with the United States that would harm Japan's interests, while an opposition leader said the prime minister still believes there are wide differences in positions between the two countries. Ishiba is expected to meet with U.S. President Donald Trump on the sidelines of the G7 leaders' meeting in Canada on Sunday, but Ishiba said a time and date for the bilateral talks had not yet been set. "If there is progress before I meet the president, that in itself is a good thing," Ishiba told reporters in Tokyo on Thursday. "But it is important to reach a deal that is good for both Japan and the United States. We will not harm Japan's interests by prioritizing a quick deal." The prime minister spoke after discussing U.S. tariffs with opposition leaders. An opposition leader told reporters after the closed-door meeting that Mr. Ishiba said there were big differences between the positions of the United States and Japan. Mr. Ishiba said he could not say how far the talks had progressed and there was no timetable for reaching an agreement.