Japan’s Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama reaffirmed his position on Monday that the Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) will soon come to a decision on what to do about the relocation of U.S. troops based in Okinawa, amid calls from the United States for a concrete policy by Friday.
“I am going to determine a policy soon after consulting with cabinet ministers, but I cannot mention a specific date because ofthe sensitive nature of the issue,” Hatoyama told reporters in Tokyo.
The comments came after a visit to the United States by lawmaker Mikio Shimoji, who was told by the U.S. government that they would like a concrete policy from Japan by Friday. Shimoji also said that the U.S. is willing to move some of its training programs for marines outside Okinawa, according to reports in local media.
Japan and Washington signed a Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA) in 2006, which mapped out a plan to transfer 8,000 troops from Okinawa to Guam and move the Futenma air base in central Ginowan to a more rural location. Since coming to power in September, the DPJ has expressed a desire to see that agreement to be reconsidered, and has pushed for high-level talks on the matter with the United States.
The DPJ has come under fire from the Japanese media for its handling of the issue, with conservative newspapers complaining that the move will have a negative impact on Japan’s security, and the liberal media complaining that the government is taking too long to come up with any concrete policy on the SOFA agreement.
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.