WASHINGTON — The White House says President Barack Obama has spoken with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe (shin-zoh ah-bay) about North Korea's nuclear program and a territorial dispute with China.
The two leaders agreed in a phone call Wednesday to collaborate to end Pyongyang's (pyuhng-yahng) nuclear and ballistic missile programs. The White House says they also discussed the need for stability and dialogue about the East China Sea.
Japan and China are engaged in a long-running dispute over islands both claim in the East China Sea. The issue came up this month when Obama met in California with Chinese President Xi Jinping (shee jihn-peeng).
The White House says Obama and Abe also discussed Japan's entrance into a Trans-Pacific Partnership, an Asia-Pacific trading pact. The U.S. approved Japan's entry into pact negotiations in April.
