Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has stressed the importance of the Trans-Pacific Partnership free trade deal, which he said will bring about an economic bloc based on free and fair rules. 
Abe made the remarks at a 2-day summit of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum in Peru. 
He warned that the global economy is facing an unexpected change. He also said that opinions skeptical about the globalization of free trade are emerging, Japan's (NHK WORLD) radio reported him as saying. 
Abe stressed that countries need to mobilize finance, monetary and structural reform policies to keep the global economy from entering a new crisis. 
He urged other APEC leaders to unite and work toward putting the world economy back on track. Abe described free trade as the source of the world's economic growth. 
He said concerns that people will not benefit from free trade and widening economic gaps could give rise to protectionism. 
The Japanese prime minister emphasized that the TPP free trade deal will become a foundation for growth and lead to the creation of the Free Trade Area of the Asia-Pacific or FTAAP. 
Other leaders agreed that the importance of the TPP should be reaffirmed in view of a rising trend toward protectionism.