However, it now appears that such differences will be less of a barrier to bilateral cooperation on other unrelated issues. According to officials at the talks, the pledge by both to pursue economic integration, including through the TransPacific Partnership framework, was promising given that cooperation in economic and trade matters has broad political and domestic backing in both countries. If there is indeed some meaningful follow-through in this and other areas, then this is not just good news for both countries but also for the region as a whole.