July 28, 2010
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A senior US official has suggested the Japanese government should not cut spending on its share of the cost of maintaining US troops in Japan.
Assistant Secretary of Defense Wallace Gregson made the remark on Tuesday at a hearing on Japan's security at the US House of Representatives Armed Services Committee.
Gregson said in a prepared statement that Japan's planned spending cut signals to both friends and potential adversaries in the region that it does not take its defense commitments seriously.
He said the current host-nation support agreement calling for spending of about 1.7 billion dollars per year runs out in 2011, and the US government is looking for another 5-year agreement.Gregson also referred to the Japan-US expert group working on relocating the US Marine Corps Air Station Futenma, from Ginowan in Okinawa. An agreement in May calls for replacing the Futenma base with a new facility on Okinawa, near the US Camp Schwab in the Henoko district of Nago.
Gregson said he expects details of the plan to be worked out by the late-August deadline, allowing for a final political decision on the relocation this fall.
He indicated that a final decision is preferable before US President Barack Obama visits Japan in November.
Assistant Secretary of State Kurt Campbell also appeared before the committee. Asked about Japan's recent, successive changes in government, Campbell said the rapid turnover in prime ministers and ministers makes it difficult to build the relationships and confidence that are necessary in government. He said this raises some concerns for the US government.
2010/07/28 15:17(JST)
(JST: UTC+9hrs.)
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