US says no alternative to military base in Okinawa
American officials have told the governor of Okinawa that a US military base on the Japanese island, which he opposes, is fundamental to Washington’s commitment to defend Japan against China.
Officials from the US State and Defense Departments told Governor Takeshi Onaga in a meeting in Washington on Wednesday that there is no alternative but to build an airfield for US Marines on Okinawa, according to a US State Department news release.
The airfield "is the only solution that addresses operational, political, financial and strategic concerns," said the news release.
Onaga, who was elected last November on a platform of opposing the airfield, is in Washington this week to warn the US officials about the construction project.
Last month, Onaga said in Tokyo that he would tell those he met in the US that ignoring the wishes of the Okinawan people would harm the reputation of both countries, especially in Asia.
The US-Japan alliance is seen as a counter to the growing influence of China.
The United States and Japan agreed in 1996 to replace the existing Futenma base because it is in a populated area of Okinawa. The new airfield would be built on reclaimed land as an extension of the US military's existing Marine camp in northeastern Okinawa.
But plans to move it stalled because of opposition from residents, many of whom associate US bases with noise, pollution and crime.
Okinawa residents have long resented the fact that they not only suffered a devastating nuclear attack by the US during World War II, but now host tens of thousands of US troops and US military facilities occupying about 18 percent of the island's area.
AHT/AGB
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