Japan is determined to resist any weakening of commitment to free trade at the G20 summit in London next month, in spite of recent protectionist backsliding by many participants, a senior Japanese foreign ministry official said on Thursday.

Outlining Tokyo’s hopes for the April 2 summit, the official said it was “imperative” that leaders reconfirm the pledge made at last November’s G20 meeting in Washington to refrain from raising new barriers to investment or trade – adding that he was “personally concerned” they might not.