Japan's final plans to relocate base in Okinawa likely delayed

2010-07-20 17:15:35
English.news.cn

TOKYO, July 20 (Xinhua) -- Japanese Defense Minister Toshimi Kitazawa indicated Tuesday that the original deadline of finalizing the details of the planned relocation of a controversial U.S. military base within Okinawa may be delayed from the August target.

Kitazawa told reporters that the result of the gubernatorial election in Okinawa in November was a significant factor contributing to the delay, as a new Governor in Japan's southernmost prefecture could, theoretically, derail the original plans and provide a further headache for the central government.

The central government is bound to an accord made with Washington and restated in May to move the U.S. Marine Corps Futenma Air Station within the island, much to antipathy of the island's leaders and local residents, all of whom have been assured time and again their base hosting burden will be relieved in the future.

"We must place importance on the election to choose the governor who has the heaviest responsibility for Okinawa," the defense minister told reporters following a Cabinet meeting.

Kitazawa added that until the election has finished it would be unlikely that any plans to move the base would be made concrete, but maintained the government does not wish to force the people of Okinawa into accepting the finalized details.

As controversy mounts in Japan's southernmost prefecture, Kitazawa announced separately that he is "positively considering" a plan to deploy Ground Self-Defense Force troops to the Sakishima island chain southwest of Okinawa Island.

The Defense Ministry said it is thinking about the possibility of deploying a 100-troop coastal surveillance unit to Yonaguni Island and hundreds of border security troops to Miyako and Ishigaki islands within the next eight years.

"Defense strong points in the Sakishima chain are very important," Kitazawa said at a news conference on Tuesday.

"We're positively considering the plan and we'd like to positively promote the plan, including mentioning it in the national defense program outline and medium-term program," he said.

Japanese gov't continues to pursue idea of relocating U.S. base outside Okinawa

18:01, April 21, 2010

Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirofumi Hirano indicated on Wednesday the central government plans to continue to pursue the idea of relocating a U.S. Marine base in Okinawa to Tokunoshima Island in Kagoshima Prefecture.

"If we work hard now, there's a good possibility of meeting with the mayors," Hirano said at a news conference, adding that he will consider contacting the mayors personally to seek a meeting with them, despite the three mayors from Tokunoshima spurning earlier calls for such meetings.

Speaking at the news conference the Chief Cabinet Secretary asked for "a little more time" before officially announcing the government's plan on the relocation issue.

Additionally, Hirano said that time was also key to seeking and gaining acceptance from any potential base host.

"We are looking at the situation from various, comprehensive angles," said Hirano, indicating the government is ardently trying to resolve the thorny issue that is testing ties with Washington, local and factions within the central government.

Hirano said at the news conference he called Okinawa Governor Hirokazu Nakaima on Tuesday, although declined to elucidate on the details of the discussion.

Political sources revealed Hirano is believed to have discussed with the governor his plans to attend a local rally scheduled for Sunday, which organizers in Okinawa are hoping to draw 100,000 people to oppose the relocation of the base within Japan's southernmost prefecture.

Political sources close to the matter have said that the government is honing in on a plan that would see the helicopter functions of Futemma relocated to Tokunoshima Island -- a tiny island inhabited by 26,000 people and located about 200 kilometers north of Okinawa and 1,400 kilometers south of Tokyo.

Hirano had previously called the plan "unfounded," much to the disdain of Akira Okubo, mayor of Isen on the island of Tokunoshima.

Okubo accused Hirano of acting "disingenuously" for saying the Tokunoshima relocation idea was merely a rumor when he and his fellow mayors met with Hirano in Tokyo last month.

"If my remarks were received as disingenuous, I regret them. "I told them that I would refrain from providing an explanation because the government is considering the matter on a zero basis," said Hirano at Wednesday's news conference by way of explanation.

Prime Minster Yukio Hatoyama said Wednesday his government would make all-out efforts to meet with the Tokunoshima officials, despite a mass protest on the island last Sunday that saw some 15, 000 residents mobilize to show their defiance to the plan.

The central government has until the end of May to decide where to relocate the Futemma Air Station.

Under an existing agreement with Washington inked in 2006, the instillation would be moved from the highly populated area of Ginowan in Okinawa to the Marines' Camp Schwab in Nago, also in Okinawa.

The existing agreement, estimated to cost some 10.3 billion U.S. dollars, would also see 8,000 of the 20,000 U.S. troops currently stationed in Japan's southernmost prefecture relocated from Okinawa to the U.S. island of Guam, by 2014.

Source: Xinhua



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U.S. president questions Japanese PM's ability to make good on Okinawa base promise

English.news.cn
2010-04-18 19:15:40

TOKYO, April 18 (Xinhua) -- U.S President Barack Obama questioned Japanese Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama's ability to " follow through" on resolving the issue of relocating a U.S. Marine base in Okinawa Prefecture, political sources said Sunday.

In discussions between the two leaders held recently in Washington on the sidelines of the Nuclear Security Summit, Obama pointed out to Hatoyama that zero progress has been made on the increasingly thorny issue of relocating the U.S. Marine Corps' Futemma Air Station in Okinawa Prefecture, sources said Sunday, despite Hatoyama's self-imposed deadline of the end-of-May to settle the issue and pleas to Obama to "trust him."

Although Hatoyama told reporters in the U.S. capital that he didn't mention a relocation site by name to Obama, the Hatoyama- led Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) government is honing in on a plan to transfer the helicopter functions of the U.S. military facility to Tokunoshima Island in Kagoshima Prefecture, about 200 kilometers north of Okinawa and 1,400 kilometers south of Tokyo, government sources revealed.

However, Washington has rejected the current proposal, in spite of the Japanese leader requesting Obama's cooperation on the issue and has vetoed another plan that would see the base relocated to an area off eastern Okinawa by reclaiming land from the sea.

Further adding to the U.S. base impasse, 15,000 residents of Tokunoshima Island gathered Sunday to protest against Hatoyama's idea of relocating the military facility to the tiny island with a population of just 26,000 people.

"Reports several days ago said the U.S. side is against the idea and so are locals. A plan for relocating the base to Tokunoshima is out of the question," local media quoted Tokunoshima town mayor Hideki Takaoka as saying at the rally Sunday.

"We, all the islanders, protest against the Futenma air base relocation to Tokunoshima," the mayors of the three towns on the island said in a written statement which they intend to send directly to Obama as a letter, along with photographs of Sunday's rally, local media reported.

"The letter is to deliver to him our united will to oppose a military base," Akira Okubo, the mayor of Isen Town, said to the local press recently.

Okubo was quoted as saying he rejects the suggested influx of subsidies the community could expect from the central government if it accepts the base.

"Easy money will deprive people of their self-reliance. We don' t want subsidies that will bring no benefits and will divide the community," he said.

The U.S. government has said the next host town must agree to the proposal before the Japanese government can present it to Washington and has consistently urged Japan to stick to an existing accord inked in 2006 that was years in the making, involving the heliport functions of the Futemma facility being transferred to a coastal area of the U.S. Marines' Camp Schwab in the city of Nago, Okinawa by 2014.

Part of he 2006 relocation accord, estimated to cost some 10.3 billion U.S. dollars, would also see 8,000 of the 20,000 U.S. troops currently stationed in Japan's southernmost prefecture relocated from Okinawa to the U.S. island of Guam.

Washington continues to unequivocally maintain that the existing accord remains the best solution to ensuring security in East Asia while reducing the burden on Okinawa.

Furthermore, should Hatoyama fail to resolve the issue by the end of May, a deadlock that has already strained ties between Washington and Tokyo and contributed to the support rate for his seven-month old Cabinet plunging ahead of key upper house elections this summer, he will risk further infuriating Washington as well as members of the ruling DPJ bloc.

Editor: Zhang Xiang

Japan's Nago assembly opposes Futenma plan in unanimous vote

English.news.cn
2010-03-08 13:51:56

TOKYO, March 8 (Xinhua) -- The Nago city assembly in Japan's Okinawa Prefecture on Monday unanimously voted to support a document that voices opposition to a plan to relocate a U.S. military facility to Camp Schwab as part of ongoing negotiations to modify an agreement signed between Washington and Tokyo in 2006, local media reported.

The U.S. military facility was originally going to be moved to a coastal area on the outskirts of Nago, but that plan has now been shelved by the governing coalition of the Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ), Social Democratic Party (SDP) and People's New Party (PNP).

The PNP was expected to propose moving some of the troops to Camp Schwab, and the local assembly on Monday also voted to protest this move.

The document points out that to move troops to Camp Schwab would only move problems currently faced at Futenma, which is located in an urban area, to the center of another city.

The assembly did not voice opposition to the U.S. military being moved to Henoko on the city's outskirts in the document however.

On Sunday, DPJ Secretary-General Ichiro Ozawa voiced his opposition to Futenma heliport facilities within the prefecture, arguing that it would be damaging for the party, because the prefectural assembly has voted against such a move.

''The prime minister concurs with this view and believes the U. S. military should be moved either out of the prefecture or abroad. He knows relocation in Okinawa would be damaging to our election chances,'' Ozawa said.

The assembly document released on Monday said that moving U.S. troops to Camp Schwab ''will destroy the education and living environment'' in Nago, and should not be allowed to go ahead.

In Tokyo on Monday, Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirofumi Hirano said that measures would need to be taken to involve Okinawa in the decision-making process concerning adjustments to be made to the 2006 Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA).

''As part of the process that develops from now, some steps to gain understanding will be necessary,'' Hirano said.

Reforming the SOFA agreement has become a major foreign policy issue for the DPJ-led coalition government. While the United States has argued that the agreement signed in 2006 was the best possible plan, locals in Okinawa have taken to the street to express their opposition to U.S. troops staying in the area.

U.S. vows to act as "resident power" in Asia-Pacific region

English.news.cn
2010-03-04 06:46:51

WASHINGTON, March 3 (Xinhua) -- U.S. policy toward the Asia- Pacific region is to ensure the country acts as a "resident power" by strengthening alliances, building new partnerships and enhancing capacity of multilateral organizations, said Assistant Secretary of State Kurt Campbell on Wednesday.

"The Asia-Pacific region is of vital and permanent importance to the United States and it is clear that countries in the region want the United States to maintain a strong and active presence. Our policy will ensure that the United States acts as a resident power and not just as a visitor, because what happens in the region has a direct effect on our security and economic well-being, " Campbell told a hearing hold by the House Committee on Foreign Affairs.

According to Campbell, the most significant global challenges, such as climate change, proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, and widespread poverty will become "highly acute" in Asia in the next few decades, the United States must play a leading role by strengthening and broadening our alliances, building new partnerships, and enhancing capacity of multilateral organizations.

Editor: Mu Xuequan

Okinawa officials against idea of U.S. base relocation within island

English.news.cn
2010-02-20 17:51:37

TOKYO, Feb. 20 (Xinhua) -- Japan's Okinawa Governor Hirokazu Nakaima told Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirofumi Hirano Saturday that relocating the U.S. Marine Corps' Futemma Air Station within his Prefecture would pose problems for the southernmost prefecture.

Nakaima, following talks with Hirofumi at Okinawa's prefectural office in Naha, told reporters it would be "difficult" for his prefecture to accept relocation within the prefecture, local media sources said.

Hirano, for his part, was quoted as telling Nakaima, "We are seeking the 'best' conclusion, but we may end up drawing a 'better ' conclusion," indicating that the central government may come up with a plan to relocate the Futemma facility within the prefecture.

Photo: Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirofumi Hirano (left) greets Okinawa Governor Hirokazu Nakaima

Hirano's two-day visit to Okinawa comes on the back of Japan's central government allegedly floating to Washington the idea of building a helipad at the Marine Corps' Camp Schwab in the Okinawa city of Nago to relocate the Futemma facility, instead of a 2006 plan agreed by the two countries to move the facility to a coastal area off the camp.

However Hirofumi on Saturday again denied making any new proposals to Washington, saying the government is still considering its options from scratch.

"We have not sounded out the United States about the idea. We are considering the relocation on a zero basis," Hirano told Nakaima, according to local sources.

Nakaima having made it clear to Hirano that the Okinawa prefectural government prefers relocating the Futemma facility outside Okinawa, said that he wished the central government would maintain open talks with the prefectural government on the matter, so officials in Okinawa could stay informed.

Photo: Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirofumi Hirano (left) meets with Okinawa Governor Hirokazu Nakaima

Hirano, reinforcing his previous comments that the central government was not acting with complete autonomy and respected the views of local officials and residents, said that the central government has set up a liaison office at the Cabinet Secretariat and its branch office in Naha to collect information and requests from local figures in Okinawa to better deal with the issue of U.S. military bases.

Despite Hirano's latest fact-finding and goodwill mission, Okinawan officials, including newly elected Nago mayor Susumu Inamine, a fierce opponent of the air base being relocated to his city, have been rattled by media reports of Japan suggesting Washington consider the idea of building a heliport at U.S. Marine Corps Camp Schwab in Nago, instead of constructing an airfield with two runways off the camp as per a 2006 accord made between the two countries.

Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama's government allegedly sounded out Washington about the idea in early February, along with transferring some of the Futemma exercises outside Okinawa.

Reports stated the government is considering constructing a heliport about 300-500 meters long at Camp Schwab in favor of a plan to build a 1,500 meter long runway on the base that was dropped in past negotiations between the U.S. and the previous Liberal Democratic Party-led government.

The relocating of Futemma is pegged to be completed by 2014, but within the Democratic Party of Japan's (DPJ) tripartite factions there is a vast gulf between opinions.

The People's New Party (PNP) proposes to consolidate Futemma's heliport functions into the U.S. Air Force's Kadena Air Base nearby, or alternatively to transfer them to Camp Schwab. However the Social Democratic Party (SDP), maintains it wants the relocation site to be outside Okinawa or outside of Japan completely, citing the U.S. territory of Guam as a possible option and has said that it would quit the ruling coalition if the government decides to keep the base on Okinawa.

SDP chief Mizuho Fukushima told reporters Friday, "I understand that the Nago mayor, the people in Nago, and those in Okinawa Prefecture think moving the facility to either the coastal area or the inland area is not an option."

Hatoyama has a self-imposed deadline of the end of May to determine the immediate future of the U.S. Marine Corps Futemma Air Station, meanwhile Washington's latest stance on the relocation issues, amid the recent controversy, remains unclear, although on numerous occasions recently, Washington has called for Tokyo to abide by the existing 2006 agreement.

U.S.-Japan treaty signed 50 years ago has had lasting impact

English.news.cn
2010-01-19 12:33:06

by Richard Smart

TOKYO, Jan. 19 (Xinhua) -- On Jan. 19, 1960, the United States and Japan signed an agreement to firm up an alliance that has lasted half a century. The treaty, however, did more than this: over the course of the next 50 years, it was to lead to a number of complex negotiations between the two nations, be the source of much political wrangling and lead to the birth of the Japanese radical movement of the 1960s and the 1970s.

The treaty was signed just 13 years after the Japanese constitution was agreed upon by the government of Japan and the allied occupation forces led by General Douglas MacArthur at a time when many politicians in the Asian nation were questioning some of the articles.

The alliance has survived for half a century, however, despite controversies along the way, and on Tuesday, Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama reaffirmed Japan's commitment to working with Washington.

"The U.S. military presence based on the Japanese-U.S. security treaty, I think, will continue to serve the public good by giving a great sense of security to the countries in the region," the prime minister said, calling the alliance "indispensable."

He added that he hoped to see ties between the nations deepen in the years to come.

MISTAKES MADE?

In the five years before the treaty was signed in 1960, a new alliance had been formed at the top of Japanese politics -- the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) -- a loose alliance of politicians from the center and right whose main purposes were to keep the socialists from power and to reassess the constitution.

In its initial years, the party hoped for a future in which there would no longer be foreign forces in Japan, and Article 9 of the constitution, which states "the Japanese people forever renounce war as a sovereign right of the nation and the threat or use of force as means of settling international disputes," would be reformed. And Japan promised that "land, sea, and air forces, as well as other war potential, will never be maintained."

The first LDP Prime Minister Ichiro Hatoyama, the grandfather of the current prime minister, was a strong supporter of bringing about the revisions. Hatoyama was soon replaced by Nobosuke Kishi, however, who sought a compromise with the United States. The problem, as he saw it, was that while Japan was not allowed armed forces, it had no commitments of protection from its ally across the Atlantic.

After negotiations, Kishi signed with the United States a deal that stated, "The Parties, individually and in cooperation with each other, by means of continuous and effective self-help and mutual aid, will maintain and develop, subject to their constitutional provisions, their capacities to resist armed attack, " and also allowed the U.S. troops to stay on Japanese soil.

ANGER

Many in Japan, however, did not support the signing of the new pact. Nasashi Ishibashi, a prominent socialist of the time called the treaty a mechanism that made Japanese troops "a front line ... for American strategy."

His opinion was shared by many in Japan, and through 1960 there were protests throughout the nation. Notably, in June, a visit by President Dwight D. Eisenhower was canceled as Japanese action continued. Later in the month Kishi was forced from office amid amounting anger on the streets.

Kishi's downfall was seen by Sophia University professor William A. Laney as due to a "lack of solidarity and support" from within and outside his party in a 1967 article on the protests. After his resignation, however, the protesters were to build movements based upon their opposition to the U.S. treaty.

As the United States entered Vietnam, a movement was born that combined opposition to the U.S. troops based in Japan with anger directed at LDP policies. "In the following years, protests grew louder and angrier, as (U.S.) military campaigns escalated," according to notes of Evan Serpick in a 2007 Rolling Stone article.

MOVING FORWARD

Over the course of the 1970s, the protest movements waned and the alliance was strengthened as Japan enjoyed its economic " miracle."

The decline of the USSR in the early 1990s and Gulf War in 1991, however, saw the United States ask for more of its Asian ally. Japan, however, was reluctant to offer any forces to contribute to the effort against Saddam Hussein's Iraq, and instead offered 13 billion U.S. dollars in aid for the war effort, in a move that led to accusations of "checkbook diplomacy."

As the 1990s passed, Japanese opposition to U.S. troops grew, in particular after marines based in the southern prefecture of Okinawa kidnapped and raped a 12-year-old girl. From that time, opposition to the U.S.-Japan military alliance has persisted in Japan.

TODAY

The advent of a new century and the war on terrorism led by the United States brought about a decade in which Japan was to commit its first troops overseas since World War II, to contribute to U.S. -led efforts in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, after the government of Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi pushed through laws permitting this amid opposition.

In 2009, however, the Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) was elected in a landslide promising to withdraw from a mission in the Indian Ocean and reassess U.S. Japan relations. Over the past few months, a debate over a treaty that will allow U.S. troops to remain in Okinawa over the coming years has exacerbated tension between the allies.

The tension, however, is nothing new and has been as much a feature of the alliance as cooperation. While debates may endure, it is likely the alliance will continue for years to come.

Editor: Han Jingjing

Japan to maintain main elements of SOFA agreement: top gov't spokesman

www.chinaview.cn
2009-12-16 15:37:25

TOKYO, Dec. 16 (Xinhua) -- Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirofumi Hirano said on Wednesday that the Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) government will keep the fundamental elements of a Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA) signed with Washington intact, while looking for a new location in Okinawa Prefecture to move U.S. troops to.

"The government will not seek to change its current 'road map' on the U.S. military," Hirano said. "But on the issue of Okinawa, the three parties (in the governing coalition) needs to think in a forward-looking manner."

He said that this meant "There could be some variations in future negotiations between Japan and Washington."

At issue is the SOFA agreement signed by the former governing Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and the U.S. administration of President George W. Bush. Under that agreement, 8,000 U.S. forces are to be moved from Okinawa to Guam, while remaining troops on the island prefecture were to be relocated to less populated areas.

Since coming to power at the end of the summer, the DPJ has said it would like to see Japan and the United States develop a "more equal" relationship, in which Tokyo is less subservient to Washington. Bringing in to question the SOFA agreement has been a part of this DPJ project.

The DPJ has since September looked at options on where to relocate U.S. marines now based in the urban area of Futenma, including moving them out of the prefecture. Under the 2006 agreement, the troops were to be moved to the less-populated Nago area of the prefecture.

On Tuesday, Japan's government announced that it would put off a decision on where to move the troops until next year, while the governing coalition of the DPJ, People's New Party (PNP) and the Social Democratic Party (SDP) meet to consider options.

Gen. James Conway, the commander of the U.S. Marines, on Wednesday said to media that he was "disappointed" that the matter had not been brought to a close this year. "At this point, it sounds like it's more and more up in the air, which is unfortunate."

Washington asked Japan on Friday to reach a decision on the SOFA agreement by Dec. 18.

Reacting to Conway's comments, Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama said, "there is no better solution if you think about the current situation in Okinawa," and asked for U.S. understanding on the matter.

In recent weeks, citizens in Okinawa have been protesting against U.S. troops in the area, and SDP leader Mizuho Fukushima has hinted that her party may leave the governing coalition if troops are to remain in the prefecture.

Meanwhile, LDP lawmaker Taro Kono, said on Wednesday in New York that he believes the way the DPJ has handled the SOFA issue had been messy. "Hatoyama and his cabinet knew they were going to be forming a new government maybe six months before they came to power, so they should have been prepared for this issue. But I don't think they had done their homework," he said.

The U.S. has had a military presence on the islands of Okinawa since the end of World War II, and governed them until 1972, when they were given back to Japan.

Editor: Wang Guanqun

SOFA agreement controversy leaves DPJ under fire in Japan

www.chinaview.cn
2009-12-14 13:41:44

TOKYO, Dec. 14 (Xinhua) -- After three months in office, the Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) is close to bringing to an end one of the most controversial episodes of its early days in power when Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama looks to give details of a concrete proposal to President Barack Obama on a way to mend a rift over the future of U.S. troops based in Futenma, Okinawa Prefecture.

Since winning an election in August, the DPJ has said it would like to review the Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA) signed by the former governing Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and administration of George W. Bush in 2006.

Under the agreement, the U.S. Marine Corps Air Station Futenma would be relocated from the center of the city of Ginowan to a less densely populated area of the prefecture, and 8,000 troops currently located there would be moved out of Japan to facilities in Guam. The U.S. has demanded a concrete proposal on the issue by Friday.

In pushing for changing the agreement, the DPJ has at times seemed to be a party of contradictions without a unified goal or purpose, which has led to intense media scrutiny, anger in Okinawa Prefecture, and criticism from both U.S. and Japanese politicians.

UNDER FIRE

Looking to make changes to the current SOFA agreement, the DPJ has pushed for high-level negotiations with the United States, and in the process received criticism for its handling of the affair. In an editorial on Thursday, the conservative Sankei Shinbun newspaper said that by prioritising national politics, the Hatoyama government has "created a loss of confidence in its ability to handle international affairs."

Meanwhile, the Asahi Shimbun condemned DPJ indecisiveness on the issue in a Friday editorial. "Hatoyama has a responsibility as prime minister to minimize friction over the Futenma problem. As a first step, he should make his stance clear as soon as possible," the editorial said.

The Yomiuri Shinbun also demanded that the issue is resolved as soon as possible. "An early resolution to the issue with the current relocation plan is earnestly sought by the U.S. government, the Okinawa prefectural government as well as the Nago city government, which is where the base's facilities would be relocated," said the newspaper.

The government of the DPJ has handled the matter in a way that has led Washington to worry about Japan's commitment to its alliance with the United States. On an October visit to Japan, U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates insisted that the current SOFA agreement signed between the two countries "may not be the perfect alternative for anyone, but it is the best alternative for everyone. And it is time to move on."

Gates said that if Japan does not stick to the SOFA agreement, then there is a chance that the United States will not allocate funding to transfer U.S. marines to Guam in 2014.

On a visit to Japan in November, Obama agreed to set up high-level talks between the two countries, but the U.S. position has been consistent: stick to the current agreement.

Japan to allocate money for U.S. forces realignment in 2010

www.chinaview.cn
2009-12-08 15:59:50

TOKYO, Dec. 8 (Xinhua) -- The government of the Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) said Tuesday that it will put aside money for the relocation of U.S. forces in Okinawa in its fiscal 2010 budget.

Defense Minister Toshimi Kitazawa said on Tuesday that "Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama has approved the allocation" of funds that are penned to be used to help shoulder the costs of a move of thousands of U.S. forces in Okinawa under a Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA) signed by the former government of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and the administration of President George W. Bush.

Since coming to power in September, the DPJ has questioned the SOFA agreement and set up a high-level group between Japan and the U.S. to explore other options available. While the DPJ and its coalition partners have emphasized the need to find an alternative to the current plan, the United States has been firm in its insistence that the deal signed in 2006 is the best possible option.

On Monday, White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs said "there is a position because there is an agreement. I think that is what both sides reiterated," implying that the White House position has not changed and implying that the DPJ may allow U.S. forces to remain in Okinawa.

The SOFA agreement will see 8,000 U.S. forces relocated from Okinawa to Guam, but the remaining contingent of around 40,000 soldiers will remain on the island chain in southern Japan. The agreement also calls for Japan to foot part of the bill to move the troops to Guam and help marines move to new bases within Okinawa.

Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama has indicated that he will explain future Japan policy on the issue of troops in Okinawa when the two are scheduled to meet in Copenhagen on Dec. 15 to attend an international climate conference.

Last week, Mizuho Fukushima, the leader of the DPJ's coalition partner the Social Democratic Party (SDP), indicated that there was a possibility her party would leave the government if U.S. troops are allowed to remain in Okinawa.

The SDP has long been opposed to having U.S. forces in the area, and Fukushima said her party would have to "make a serious decision" if they were to remain there.

The issue of troops in Okinawa has long been an emotive one, with noise pollution and crime originating from the bases stirring up the anger of locals. The foreign ministry is also conducting an investigation to determine whether or not the LDP signed secret agreements with the United States allowing nuclear weapons on its soil in return for the handing over of Okinawa.

The prefecture in southern Japan was handed to the nation in 1972 after 27 years of U.S. occupation from 1945, when World War II ended.

Environment, U.S. troops, security to top agenda in Obama's Japan visit

2009-11-09 10:16 BJT
by Richard Smart

TOYKO, Nov. 8 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President Barack Obama is scheduled to visit Japan from Nov. 12 with a number of top issues to discuss with Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama, among others, the issues of the Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA) for U.S. troops based in Okinawa, the environment and Japan's future role in Afghanistan.

In recent weeks media attention has focused on the Democratic Party of Japan's (DPJ) pledge to change the nature of the alliance between the United States and Japan. Much attention has been on the DPJ's current consideration of changing the SOFA agreement, which would see around 10,000 U.S. troops remain on Okinawa and Japan help foot the cost of moving the 8,000 remaining forces to Guam by 2014, but this is unlikely to taint the visit of Obama.

"This visit is more of a welcome to Japan for Obama," said Jeff Kingston, a professor at Temple University, who told Xinhua that the visit will be about photo opportunities and reaffirming friendships rather than brokering new agreements.

Media in Japan reported on Friday that the tensions surrounding the SOFA agreement would not play a central role in bilateral talks between the two leaders scheduled to take place this week, in line with Kingston's view. Foreign Minister Katsuya Okada also said Sunday that there will be no deal on U.S. troop relocation during Obama's visit.

Despite this, there will be plenty of other issues for the two leaders to discuss, and Afghanistan is likely to be high on the agenda.

Prime Minister Hatoyama has stated that once the law allowing Japan to participate in a mission in the Indian Ocean refueling U.S. and allied vehicles participating in the war in Afghanistan, it will not be renewed. The DPJ, however, has been quick to emphasize that this does not mean that the country will be withdrawing from all activities in Afghanistan and throughout the region.

"We are looking at offering income guarantees and vocational training so people will not have to turn to the Taliban but will be able to support their families in other ways," Okada said at a news conference last month.

In the lead up to UN Climate Change Conference 2009 in Copenhagen, which starts on Dec. 7, the two leaders will have plenty to discuss. Hatoyama announced at a September UN Meeting in New York that Japan will attempt to cut its emissions to 25 percent of 1990 levels by 2020. Japan's prime minister is hoping that other nations will follow Japan's lead and also start to reduce their emissions.

While it is unlikely that Obama will promise to cut emissions to such levels the president is currently struggling to get a health care reform bill signed into law he will undoubtedly express support for Hatoyama's proposal.

Obama has also said that he hopes to rid the world of nuclear weapons, which is very much in line with the DPJ's campaign pledge to "make efforts to facilitate the early entry into force of the Comprehensive Nuclear Test-Ban Treaty" and to "play a leadership role in the 2010 review conference on the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons."

The two leaders will also likely reaffirm a unified front in negotiations with the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK).

Undoubtedly, however, the priority for both countries will be reaffirming their friendship and beginning to build personal ties between the two leaders.

Editor: Du Xiaodan | Source: Xinhua

Aso says no LDP presidential race before general election

www.chinaview.cn
2009-06-25 20:17:47

TOKYO, June 25 (Xinhua) -- Japanese Prime Minister Taro Aso said on Thursday that the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) will not hold a presidential race in the run-up to a general election as it would cause great damage to the ruling party.

"Holding a presidential election again could hurt the public's impression of the LDP," Aso said at a press conference in Japan National Press Club.

Aso said so in response to a question concerning growing moves among LDP lawmakers to hold a leadership poll to replace him, as public opinions polls have shown his leadership capability was questioned after a third minister from his Cabinet, internal affairs and communications minister Kunio Hatoyama stepped down due to a government internal row.

Some LDP members have called for an LDP presidential election before the general election, with one of them collecting signatures from LDP Diet members.

As for the timing of the lower house dissolution, Aso said, "I can't say when, but it will come in the not-so-distant future." Speculation has been growing that the House of Representatives will be dissolved in early July for an election on Aug. 2.

The election must be held by October as the terms of lower house members are set to expire on Sept. 10.

Editor: Deng Shasha

Japanese DPJ's political fund scandal becomes noisier

www.chinaview.cn
2009-03-05 14:27:43
By Qi Wei

TOKYO, March 5 (Xinhua) -- Tokyo prosecutors on Tuesday arrested Takanori Okubo, a government-paid aide of the main opposition Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) leader Ichiro Ozawa, on suspicion of falsifying political fund reports over donations from major contractor Nishimatsu Construction Co. in violation of the Political Fund Control Law.

The special investigation squad of the Tokyo District Public Prosecutors Office on Wednesday raided Ozawa's local office in Oshu, Iwate Prefecture, and the DPJ's branch office in Morioka, Iwate in a bid to collect evidence to support the allegations against Okubo.

Also on Wednesday, the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) gained an upper hand by enacting a bill to implement a controversial 2 billion yen cash handout plan with a two-thirds majority in a revote at the ruling-dominated House of Representatives.

Political observers believe that the arrest of Ozawa's aide, which dealt a surprise blow to the DPJ, is expected to inject more uncertainties into Japan's political arena and exert an incalculable impact on the nation's already chaotic political situation.

Despite the ever-falling support rate for Prime Minister Taro Aso's cabinet, some say that the enactment of the cash handout-related law, along with the arrest of the DPJ leader's aide, could possibly change the LDP's prospects.

AN ABUSE OF STATE POWER?

Following Okubo's arrest, Ozawa denied that his chief secretary knowingly accepted illicit donations from Nishimatsu, blasting the probe as an "unfair exercise of state power."

"I myself have nothing to feel guilty about, and my secretary's actions are in accordance with the law and every thing has been filed and submitted legally and properly," said Ozawa at a 40-minute press conference Wednesday.

"The investigation has been conducted at a time when the next House of Representatives election is a hot topic," he said. "Politically and legally, its a really unfair exercise of state power and prosecutors' power."

Criticizing prosecutors' investigative tactics, Ozawa said, "Their raid was an abnormal method that goes beyond conventional manners.

Meanwhile, Yukio Hatoyama, secretary-general of the DPJ, told reporters, "I smell quite a bit of conspiracy here."

"Perhaps the government and the ruling coalition are trying to fabricate a scandal out of nothing," he said.

Chief Cabinet Secretary Takeo Kawamura, however, rebuked Ozawa and DPJ executives for crying foul over the incident.

"The prosecutors made the arrest based on the law and evidence...and I find it extremely difficult to understand" the opposition's criticisms, Kawamura told reporters.

"But because it is an issue of political funds, it is very important for us politicians to increase transparency over the political funds and ensure the people's trust in politics," he said.

A NEW BOSS FOR DPJ?

Though the arrest of Okubo was widely deemed as a heavy blow to the opposition DPJ, political analysts said the damage would not be further inflicted on the party if Ozawa, who refused to quit at a press conference Wednesday, steps down from the DPJ top post.

"It is natural for Ozawa to stress his innocence, but considering what is best for the party, I think the most sensible thing to do is to step down," Jiro Yamaguchi, a political science professor at Hokkaido University and a close observer of the DPJ, was quoted by The Japan Times as saying.

"The DPJ's priority is to seize power in the next general election, and I have to question whether Ozawa's refusal to step down is the wisest choice," said Yamaguchi.

The professor said that the scandal wounds the DPJ, but not fatally, as long as the party moves quickly to pick a new leader.

"As hard as it may be for Ozawa, I think he needs to step down for the party's sake," Yamaguchi said.

Yamaguchi's remarks were echoed by Tomoaki Iwai, a political science professor at Nihon University and an expert on political funds issues.

"The arrest is a significant fact, and if he stays the party could face a split between hard-liners and moderates," Iwai said.

"Ozawa has been the Achilles' heel of the DPJ and holds the key to the election," he said, adding "If his popularity declines, so will that of the DPJ."

DPJ STILL HAVE UPPER HAND OVER LDP

Some analysts believe that Ozawa's explanation at the news conference helped cushion the blow and the opposition DPJ still maintains a more advantageous position in the next general election following the arrest of the party chief's aide.

"His explanation sounded quite convincing," said Kikuya Matsuzaki, a political satirist.

"If the DPJ continues to be responsible in explaining the incident, I think it may be able to minimize its impact," Matsuzaki said.

Commenting on the incident, Mari Miura, a professor of politics at Sophia University, said, "DPJ lawmakers have shown greater unity than expected."

The government and the ruling bloc, on the other hand, responded cautiously to the scandal. According to media reports, the Nishimatsu-related political groups also allegedly donated to key LDP lawmakers. In this sense, the LDP may not be able to reap fat profit from the downfall of DPJ chief's aide. So both the ruling and opposition camps need to be patient to find out what comes to pass next.

Editor: Xiong Tong

U.S. secretary of state's Asian tour meaningful

16:07, February 14, 2009

Hillary Clinton leaves on Sunday for Japan, Indonesia, South Korea and China on her first overseas tour as secretary of state, which reveals the importance the new U.S. administration attaches to a rising Asia.

CHINA, AN ESSENTIAL PARTNER

Clinton's scheduled Asian tour takes place at a time when the United State is still smarting from the spreading financial crisis, which has also had a grave impact on the rest of the world. China, which has adopted effective measures to tackle the global crisis, is believed to be an important stop in the trip.

Clinton, former first lady of the United States, is no stranger to China. She led a U.S. delegation to the Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing in September 1995, and in June 1998, she was accompanying her husband, then President Bill Clinton, on a trip to China.

To the new secretary of state, her forthcoming trip to Beijing is not a simple recall of her past experiences in China, but a demonstration that President Barack Obama and his administration will attach great importance to China, observers here said.

"You know very well how important China is and how essential it is that we have a positive cooperative relationship," Clinton said on Friday when addressing the Asia Society in New York. "It is vital to peace and prosperity not only in the Asia-Pacific region but worldwide."

It is generally believed that Clinton's scheduled visit to China will be instrumental in laying the foundation for upgrading U.S. engagement with China from the past "economic dialogue" to a "comprehensive dialogue."

TIES WITH ALLIES

Clinton's Asian tour is a follow-up to a flurry of diplomatic activity involving senior U.S. officials. In recent days, Obama's Middle East envoy George Mitchell has toured the Middle East, U.S Vice President Joe Biden visited Germany -- where he addressed the annual Munich security conference to outline the latest U.S. foreign policy -- and Richard Holbrooke, Obama's special envoy for Pakistan and Afghanistan traveled to South Asia.

In addition to China, Clinton's diplomatic journey also focuses on Japan and South Korea, both of them U.S. traditional and major allies in Asia.

Clinton will discuss common approaches to the challenges facing the international community, including the financial turmoil, nuclear disarmament on the Korean Peninsula, regional security, and climate change, according to State Department deputy spokesman Robert Wood.

In her latest foreign policy speech, Clinton said the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK)'s nuclear program remains "the most acute challenge," and she reiterated U.S. commitments to helping prevent the proliferation of nuclear weapons in Asia.

Analysts said the tone of the accusations leveled by the Obama administration and its pledge on nuclear disarmament are hardly different from that of the former administration of George W. Bush. Relations between the DPRK and South Korea are turning from bad to worse again, which will leave a uphill job for the new U.S. government if it really wants to get some things done.

SIGNAL TO MUSLIMS

It is not surprise Clinton has put Indonesia into her diplomatic travel agenda if people could still remember Obama's remarks made to Arab media late last month.

"My job to the Muslim world is to communicate that the Americans are not your enemies," Obama said in an interview with Al-Arabiya, the Dubai-based satellite television network. "We sometimes make mistakes. We have not been perfect."

As the most populous Muslim country in the world, Indonesia apparently has influence in the Muslim world.

Clinton said the United States and Indonesia "have an opportunity for stronger partnership in education, energy and food security."

Actually, Washington's ties with Jakarta, which have improved steadily in recent years, are playing an important role in U.S. efforts to improve its image in the world and create a good international environment for its economic recovery at home.

More than three weeks have passed since Obama took office on Jan. 20, which have witnessed the White House rolling out its roadmap of new domestic and foreign policies. In this sense, Clinton's Asian tour will be an endeavor to contribute to Obama's call for "remaking America."

Source:Xinhua

http://english.people.com.cn/90001/90776/90883/6592897.html

U.S. submarine's radioactive leakage catches Japan's attention

2008-08-02 22:44:17
www.chinaview.cn

TOKYO, Aug. 2 (Xinhua) -- A U.S. media report earlier in the day about a U.S. Navy submarine's radioactive leakage in Japan aroused widespread discontent in the country Saturday.

Japanese media earlier in the day quoted CNN as reporting that several U.S. Navy officials acknowledged that the Houston, a U.S. Navy Los Angeles-class fast attack submarine, began leaking radioactive substances when it travelled to southern Japan's Sasebo port in March during its tour around the Pacific.

The CNN report has been proved by the U.S. Navy, which confirmed that the sub was found leaking traces with radioactivity during a regular checkup in Hawaii in July.

The Japanese Foreign Ministry said in a press release on Saturday that it was informed of the matter Friday afternoon.

"The U.S. side said what was leaked from the Houston was cooling water, which had infinitesimal radiation and had no influence to human beings and the environment," the press release said.

The Japanese Science and Culture Ministry found no excessive radiation when the Houston was making the port call in Japan, and the Foreign Ministry informed related local governments on Saturday, the press release added.

Japanese media pointed out late notification in the matter, saying the leakage was found by the U.S. side as early as July 17 and the leakage was confirmed containing radioactive substances as early as July 24.

Furthermore, the Japanese Foreign Ministry did not report it tothe leadership immediately after receiving notification from the U.S. side on Friday, as Foreign Minister Masahiko Komura admitted that he got to know the matter Saturday morning, Japanese media reported.

Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Nobutaka Machimura expressed dissatisfaction with the foreign ministry's retardment, while Japanese local governments which host U.S. bases complained over the slow reports and called for serious dealing with similar affairs.

Editor: Yan

Gates says U.S. remains engagement with Asia-Pacific

2008-05-31 11:14:39
www.chinaview.cn

SINGAPORE, May 30 (Xinhua) -- U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates told an Asian security summit here Saturday that the United States will remain strong engagement in the Asia-Pacific region no matter who will be the next president.

"Any future U.S. administration's Asia security policy is going to be grounded in the fact that the United States remains a nation with strong and enduring interests in this region -- interests that will endure no matter which political party occupies the White House next year," Gates said.

Speaking at the annual Asian Security Summit, also known as theShangri-La Dialogue, Gates said Asia has become the center of gravity in a rapidly globalizing world, and the United States is a Pacific nation with an enduring role in Asia.

"For those who worry that Iraq and Afghanistan have distracted the United States from Asia and developments here, I would counter that we have never been more engaged with more countries," he said.

The three-day conference, organized by the London-based think tank International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS), has brought together Gates, and the defense ministers and military officials of 26 other countries, including China.

On the Korean Peninsula nuclear issue, Gates noted the U.S. drive to temper North Korea's nuclear ambitions will be not possible "without China's valued cooperation".

He also spoke of openness in military modernization in Asia. "Transparency enhances confidence and reduces competitive arms spending. The same applies to the way in which sovereign governments make their national security decisions."

Editor: Feng Tao

Japanese former vice defense minister pleads guilty to bribery

Sunday, April 20, 2008; Posted: 11:17 PM

TOKYO, Apr 21, 2008 (Xinhua via COMTEX) -- -- Japanese former Vice Defense Minister Takemasa Moriya, who was accused of taking bribes while in post from defense equipment trader Yamada Corp., admitted the charges on Monday during the first hearing of the case at the Tokyo District Court.

Moriya, 63, pleaded guilty of accepting from the trader various types of bribes worth of a total of 12.49 million yen (about 122, 000 U.S. dollars), and apologized for committing such crimes.

He also admitted perjury in parliament shortly after the case was exposed late last year.

Several officials of the trader also pleaded guilty of bribing Moriya.

Moriya was arrested in November 2007. He was charged of accepting about 120 trips worth of about 8.86 million yen from August 2003 to April 2007, and receiving about 3.63 million yen in cash from May 2004 to February 2006.

Moriya's case, together with the Maritime Self-Defense Force ( MSDF) warships' consecutive collisions with civil vessels and intelligence leakage through MSDF officers' personal computers in the following several months, put Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda's government in an awkward position and forced Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba to reform the ministry.

U.S. military base chief urges Japan's parliament to back base-hosting accord

2008-04-14 16:50:12
www.chinaview.cn

TOKYO, April 14 (Xinhua) -- The U.S. military chief in Japan Monday urged the Japanese Diet to endorse a bilateral agreement on U.S. military facilities in Japan.

Lt. Gen. Edward Rice, commander of U.S. Forces in Japan, told the Japan National Press Club that though the opposition legislators oppose the Japanese government's appropriation of money for entertainment facilities in the bases for the coming three years, the allotment to maintain U.S. military facilities can be regarded as an investment to ensure Japan's future security.

And the U.S. servicemen deserve "a modest level of recreational activities" in the bases as they are far from home, media reported, citing Rice, who became the military chief in Japan in February.

The U.S. general also vowed to tighten discipline over the U.S. military personnel in the base-hosting areas after a string of crimes allegedly committed by U.S. soldiers in local communities. 　

Editor: An Lu

Family members of U.S. forces arrested in Okinawa, Japan

11:00, April 05, 2008

Several family members of the Japan-based U.S. marine and air forces in Okinawa Prefecture were arrested on Friday or to be arrested later over suspicion of beating a local cabby and robbing him of about 8,000 yen (about 80U.S. dollars).

A 16-year-old son of a U.S. airman and a 15-year-old son of a U.S. Marine had been arrested, Kyodo News said, quoting police.

Arrest warrants for two other youngsters, both sons of U.S. servicemen, had been issued, and another 21-year-old U.S. airman is under questioning over the case, police added.

They are suspected of assaulting the 55-year-old cabby on March16 in Okinawa city, causing minor injuries to him.

Source: Xinhua

Family members of U.S. forces arrested in Okinawa, Japan

2008-04-04 20:25:30
www.chinaview.cn

TOKYO, April 4 (Xinhua) -- Several family members of the Japan-based U.S. marine and air forces in Okinawa Prefecture were arrested on Friday or to be arrested later over suspicion of beating a local cabby and robbing him of about 8,000 yen (about 80U.S. dollars).

A 16-year-old son of a U.S. airman and a 15-year-old son of a U.S. Marine had been arrested, Kyodo News said, quoting police.

Arrest warrants for two other youngsters, both sons of U.S. servicemen, had been issued, and another 21-year-old U.S. airman is under questioning over the case, police added.

They are suspected of assaulting the 55-year-old cabby on March16 in Okinawa city, causing minor injuries to him.

Editor: Du Guodong