U.S. urges Japan to implement base pact in high-level talks

Wednesday 18th November, 06:29 AM JST

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9 Comments

sharky1 at 07:33 AM JST - 18th November

And the US is right in this demand. Agreements are made to be honored...if not, then they are not agreements...Japan should keep it's promises so it can be recognized as a nation that can be trusted, not only by the US, but by other nations as well.
ElJeffeEnJapon at 07:37 AM JST - 18th November

Japan stalling so they can accept the US demands re Futenma at the end of the year. Trying to gain credibility with voters by not saying yes right away. I think it's a lame attempt at saving face. Japan was always going to accept the air station relocation. They'd rather see the 8000 Leathernecks ship out to Guam. Okada is s tool. Hatoyama is a joke. His face in the tv interviews show he has absolutely no power to do anything but let his ministers run their mouths.
Gaijinocchio at 08:56 AM JST - 18th November

a senior U.S. defense official warned a delay in finding a solution may change the stance of the U.S. Congress which supports the transfer of thousands of Marines from Okinawa to Guam

Japan should've had a solid plan BEFORE the DPJ decided to not honor the original agreement.

Delaying will only hurt Japan more, much more than it will hurt the U.S. overall. This bout with the U.S. regarding troops is taking years...feels like the DPJ just wanted to demonstrate their more assertive stance, with no real ideas presented other than "Let's defy the Yanks!"
kwatt at 09:05 AM JST - 18th November

Why such a big hurry? LDP did not implement it for 10, 11 years since US-Japan agreed.
TheQuestion at 10:25 AM JST - 18th November

Why is this so hard? I've never had a problem with my Japanese business associates in regards to fulfilling contractual agreements. It's not like the DPJ is going to bring any fresh ideas to the table, just political arm flexing...even if the arm in question is comparable to that of a 9 year old's.
tkoind2 at 10:47 AM JST - 18th November

I fully agree. This is the DPJ trying to differentiate itself and win confidence from conservative Japanese. It doesn't bode well for their ability to govern if they are already so afraid to make decisions.
sf2k at 11:27 AM JST - 18th November

Japan is in the drivers seat and doesn't know how to drive. They can take their time though, I don't see what they're so scared of.

The USA needs Japan to keep buying their T-bills else the country collapses. China just rebuffed Obama with zero concessions. Japan can also do something similar in the amazing bafflegab that only Japan can do, get their way, and reduce Japan's debt at the same time.

Agree to the move for a reduction of debt, or don't agree to the move for a reduction of debt. USA is in the corner. What can they do? Get more into debt?
Schopenhauer at 11:54 AM JST - 18th November

Japan's priority problem today is poverty and defense is next.
herefornow at 12:48 PM JST - 18th November

sf2k...Huh? How in the world do you figure Japan is in the driver's seat? First off, with a current debt of about 200% of GDP, Japan cannot possibly begin to shoulder any more of its defense costs. So they can only afford to push the U.S. so far, as they have no ability to bluff. Second, the longer they stall, the longer all the Marines stay in Okinanwa, which is certainly not a desirable outcome for the DPJ. The U.S. House has already cut like 2/3's of the money for relocating the first 8,000 to Guam out of the 2010 budget. And, lastly, your reference to China here is a total red-herring. China is a budding super-power, while Japan is a rapidly-aging has-been power. Obama can afford to take small steps with Beijing since they will be central to Asian diplomacy for decades to come. Not so with Japan.