Asia-Pacific

Japan to come up with alternative plan for US troops

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2010-03-04 22:39

TOKYO - Prime Miniser Yukio Hatoyama said on Thursday that by the end of March Japan will come up with an alternative plan to one drafted in 2006 by Washington and Tokyo in 2006 that would see the relocation of US troops in Okinawa Prefecture by 2014.

The 2006 Status of Forces Agreement, which media in japan reported on Thursday is set to be modified, would have seen the US Futenma facility moved to Nago in Okinawa. That plan, however, has been opposed by both the people of Okinawa and the coalition government of the Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ).

On Thursday, Hatoyama said: "I want to decide (what to do about this issue) as soon as possible."

The prime minister has vowed to resolve the issue by May, and to that end he is looking to come up with a new plan by the end of March. "It's already March. If the decision cannot be made by the end of the month, we may run out of time," Hatoyama said. "We must come up with a government plan at some point during March."

Hatoyama added that he would like to find a solution to the problem that will be satisfactory to both the United States and the people of Okinawa.

Since coming to power in September, the DPJ has looked to create a "more equal" relationship with the United States, and modifying the SOFA agreement is a part of that process.