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SINGAPORE (AP) — U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry is in Singapore to talk up an Asia trade agreement that has hit snags in final negotiations.
Kerry arrived in the Southeast Asian city-state Tuesday and is to give a speech highlighting the benefits of the so-called "Trans-Pacific Partnership." He will then travel to Malaysia for a regional security forum at which China's growing assertiveness in the South China Sea will likely be a major focus.
In Singapore, Kerry will stress the importance of trade in the Obama administration's pivot to Asia and the key role the trade agreement can play. The speech comes just days after Pacific Rim trade ministers were unable to reach agreement on the deal, which would cover nearly 40 percent of the global economy,
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