US, Japan agree to stimulate economic demand

US President Barack Obama and Japanese Prime Minister Taro Aso agreed to work urgently to stimulate economic demand and resist protectionism, the White House said after the two leaders met.

US President Barack Obama and Japanese Prime Minister Taro Aso agreed on Tuesday to work urgently to stimulate economic demand and resist protectionism, the White House said after the two leaders met.

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"The two leaders agreed to work closely and urgently, as the world's leading economies, to stimulate demand at home and abroad, to help other countries respond to the global crisis, (and) to unfreeze credit markets," the White House said in a statement.

"They agreed fully on the need to resist protectionism."

The two countries also said they would assist developing nations in tackling climate change and build on their record of joint research and development for "clean" energy technology.