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US-Japan pledge to renew alliance
(Xinhua)
Updated: 2009-11-13 20:33 TOKYO: US President Barack Obama said Friday that the alliance between Japan and America will endure for the foreseeable future as a linchpin of the future of East Asia. "I began my trip here in Tokyo because the US Japan alliance is a foundation for peace and prosperity throughout East Asia," Obama said at a news conference after meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama. "I am confident that we will continue to strengthen the US-Japan alliance for future generations," he said.
The news conference was a reaffirmation of the strong ties between the two nations, but the tensions on the Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA) were clear. That agreement, which was signed by the former ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and the administration of President George W. Bush, will see around 8,000 US forces remain in Okinawa after 2012, and the Japan foot part of the bill to transfer the rest to Guam. "It will be a very difficult issue, but as time goes by I think it will become more difficult to resolve the issue. So we understand we need to resolve the issue as soon as possible and we will work to do that," said Hatoyama, for his part.
The two agreed that a high-level team will be set up to discuss how to resolve the issue. "Our goal remains the same, to provide security to Japan while providing the minimum intrusion on the people that live here" Obama said, adding that working toward reaching an agreement on this issue was essential. While it was clear that the two leaders did not see eye-to-eye on this issue, many analysts expected this to be the case. "President Obama is more likely to come out with a series of reassuring statements to Tokyo, emphasising continuing US commitment to the country while it continues to remain the centre-piece of US foreign policy in the region." said Sarah McDowall, an analyst at IHI analytics earlier this week. On Afghanistan, Obama said he was deeply grateful for Japan's efforts to help achieve peace and stability in the region. "The prime minister and I discussed our cooperation on Afghanistan and Pakistan, and I thanked Yukio for the commitment of $5 billion for rebuilding in Afghanistan and Pakistan," Obama said. Japan has opted to pull out of a refueling mission in the Indian Ocean that assists the US and its allies fighting in Afghanistan. It has pledged instead to send a maximum of 5 billion dollars in aid to the region to help the international effort. |
