TOKYO -- Japan's prime minister said Monday he will press for more equal ties with Washington this year, the 50th anniversary of a joint security treaty that grants many special privileges to U.S. troops stationed in the country.
Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama, in a New Year's speech shown live on national television, said he hopes the alliance will evolve to become more open and candid. It is important "for both sides to be able to firmly say what needs to be said, and to increase the relationship of trust," he said.
| Sure thing, Sparky. Just as soon as your country can defend itself, we can have equal ties. |
| The real issue is acting as a military stabilizing force in the region, which takes a great deal more effort and expense. Any fool with a pointy stick can act to defend himself, although of course Japan is quite a few steps beyond pointy sticks. |
Under a security pact signed in 1960, U.S. armed forces are allowed broad use of Japanese land and facilities, and currently some 47,000 American troops are stationed in Japan. The U.S. is obliged to respond to attacks on Japan and protects the country under its nuclear umbrella. More than half those troops are stationed in the southern island of Okinawa, where many residents complain about noise, pollution and crime linked to the bases.
| We can re-negotiate that any time you want. |
U.S.-Japan ties have become strained since Hatoyama took office in September over the relocation of Futenma U.S. Marine airfield on Okinawa, as part of a broader reorganization agreed in 2006. The plan calls for 8,000 Marines to be transferred to the U.S. territory of Guam and for Futenma's facilities to be moved to a northern part of Okinawa. But residents oppose the move and simply want Futenma shut down.
Hatoyama has delayed making a final decision and said he's willing to consider other options for the base. The leader of a junior coalition partner has said she wants the base moved off Japanese territory altogether.
| The same day we do that, our ability -- and willingness -- to defend Japan is over. |
In Monday's speech, the prime minister said the Japan-U.S. partnership also needs to tackle broader issues such as global warming. "It doesn't even need to be said that the core of the Japan-U.S. alliance is military security. But it is important to show that at various levels, Japan and America are in a crucial relationship," he said.
The ruling Democrat party, which swept to power in summer elections that broke five decades of dominance by the Liberal Democrats, has said previously that it wants negotiations with Washington to be on more even terms than under previous governments. | Is Tokyo ready to deploy and use armed robotic soldiers? They don't have the population in the required age range to project power anywhere, they have a huge and growing elderly population without young relatives to care for them and their economy is precarious. Posture on, Hatoyama, but decide carefully. |
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