Osaka Mayor Toru Hashimoto on Wednesday sought to clarify his remarks on a system to recruit women into sexual servitude for Japan's soldiers during World War II, saying he personally does not condone the scheme. Two days after he made controversial remarks that the so-called comfort women were "necessary to maintain discipline" in the Japanese military, Hashimoto told reporters he simply stated a fact that people at the time had that kind of view.

President Barack Obama notified Congress Wednesday that it would launch trade talks with the European Union aimed at forging the world's largest free-trade area. The Obama administration intends to launch negotiations with the EU "no earlier than 90 days" after the notification, Demetrios Marantis, the acting US Trade Representative (USTR), said in a letter to Congress. The official notification to Congress followed announcements last month by Obama and EU leaders of their plan to negotiate the proposed Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership.

The United States should be more transparent on security checks on foreign investments, China said Friday, accusing "some legislators" in developed countries of maintaining a "Cold War mentality". The issue is a bone of contention between Washington and Beijing, which has the world's largest foreign exchange reserves and is looking to diversify its assets.

* Touts potential Trans-Pacific pact, possible EU talks * Says U.S. should keep open investment environment * Warns Argentine policies could backfire on country By Doug Palmer WASHINGTON, Feb 4 (Reuters) - A senior U.S. official said on Monday he was optimistic progress can be made on a number of trade fronts in President Barack Obama's second term, but declined to say whether he was on a short list to be the next U.S. Trade Representative.