Japan says no to delaying US base move
(VOVWORLD) - Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said Monday that the relocation of Futenma air station of the US Marine Corps in Okinawa will not be delayed although locals resoundingly rejected the construction of a new US military base on their island in a referendum a day earlier.
 Osprey aircraft at Futenma air base in Okinawa, Japan. (Photo: AFP/VNA) |
Abe told reporters in Tokyo that he accepts the outcome sincerely but cannot delay the plan any further because it has been 20 years since Japan and the US agreed to relocate the Futenma base.
Abe promised to do his best to ease the burden of the US military presence in Okinawa prefecture and that the government will continue its dialogue with local residents to gain their understanding.