WASHINGTON, Oct. 25 (Xinhua) -- The 11 remaining Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) members hope to still work out before an agreement becomes dead, Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said here on Wednesday.
Lee made the remarks while attending a discussion held by U.S. think tank Council on Foreign Relations.
"We just accept that what we have put a lot of hope on is not going to happen," said Lee, adding that the remaining countries will "make the best of the new situation."
The TPP was signed in February 2016 by Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore, the United States and Vietnam after more than five years' negotiation.
U.S. President Donald Trump announced in January the withdrawal of the United States from the deal, saying it would hurt the interests of his country.
"The other 11 members of the TPP negotiations are talking among ourselves to see what we can work out," Lee said.
"Had we started without the United States, we could have worked out a deal," he added.
Under current rules, to make the TPP pact come into effect, at least six original signatories have to successfully ratifiy the agreement and they also must represent 85 percent of the total GDP of the 12 original signatories.
Lee is on a six-day visit to the United States starting from Saturday.
