All paper wrote that chief negotiators of the 11 TPP member states made progress toward a rough agreement during their three-day meeting held in Japan until Wednesday. Japanese Chief Negotiator Umemoto told the press after the meeting that there is growing momentum to reach common ground ahead of the ministerial meeting to be held on Nov. 8-9 in Vietnam. Yomiuri and Nikkei wrote that the negotiators agreed to freeze about one-third of the 50 items that had been proposed for freezing, including the data protection period for biopharmaceuticals, and that New Zealand expressed its intention to remain in the TPP. Nikkei wrote, however, that although progress was made in the negotiations this week, the TPP member states will continue to hold intensive discussions to settle the remaining issues before the ministerial meeting to be held next week.