Japan to Continue Efforts to Reduce Burden on Okinawa

Tokyo, April 6 (Jiji Press)--The Japanese government will continue
efforts to reduce the burden on Okinawa Prefecture, which hosts most of U.S.
military facilities in Japan, including the Marine Corps' Futenma air
station, the Foreign Ministry said in an annual report Tuesday.
It is important to reduce Okinawa's burden while maintaining the
U.S. deterrent, the report said.
Over the issue of relocation of the Futenma base, now in the city
of Ginowan, the report said that the government will strive to ease the
burden on local communities while noting that the issue needs to be dealt
with also in light of security.
The report signaled the government's intention to seek a review of
the Japan-U.S. Status of Forces Agreement while taking into account progress
in the efforts to solve the Futenma and other pressing issues and a defense
policy accord among the ruling Democratic Party of Japan and its two
coalition partners--the Social Democratic Party and the People's New Party.
The bilateral pact governs U.S. forces in Japan and judicial
procedures regarding criminal cases involving U.S. servicemen.
Also in the report, the government stressed the importance of
beefing up a mutually beneficial strategic partnership between Japan and
China.
But the government showed concern about a lack of transparency in
China's growing military spending.
In cooperation with the international community, Japan will urge
North Korea to launch a reinvestigation into the fate of Japanese nationals
abducted to the reclusive communist nation based on a promise it made in
bilateral negotiations in 2008, the report said.
The DPJ-led coalition will strive to regain trust in Japan's
diplomacy following last year's change of government resulting from the
DPJ's victory in a general election, the report said
As part of such efforts, the report pointed to a recent
investigation led by Foreign Minister Katsuya Okada into secret pacts
concluded between Japan and the United States decades ago, including one
that allows nuclear-armed U.S. warships to make port calls in Japan without
prior consultations.