Nikkei wrote that Chinese Premier Li Keqiang told reporters following the conclusion on Thursday of the National People’s Congress that China has been taking a positive and open stance on the possibility of joining the TPP-11. Pointing out that this was the first time for a Chinese premier to comment on the issue, the paper speculated that China may think that it can take the lead in the multinational trade framework due to the nonparticipation of the United States.