Mr. Kan and Mr. Obama meet, agree to resolve Futenma issue
(From The Japan Times June 30 issue)

日米首脳、普天間問題で協力を確認

At their June 27 meeting on the fringe of the G-20 summit in Toronto, Canada, Prime Minister Naoto Kan and U.S. President Barack Obama agreed that the Japan-U.S. alliance is a cornerstone of peace and prosperity in the Asia-Pacific region. Their first meeting took place after bilateral ties had become somewhat awkward under the administration of Mr. Kan's predecessor, Mr. Yukio Hatoyama, over the relocation of U.S. Marine Corps Air Station Futenma, Okinawa.

Mr. Kan told Mr. Obama that he will make serious efforts to implement a May 28 bilateral accord, which stipulates that Futenma's heliport function will be moved from the crowded urban area in Ginowan to the less densely populated Henoko coastal area in Nago, farther north on Okinawa Island.

Both agreed to try to lessen the burden on Okinawa Prefecture. Mr. Obama said he understands that the Futenma relocation won't be easy, adding that he will make efforts to help U.S. forces gain more acceptance in the region. The two also took up the March 26 sinking of a South Korean corvette and Iran's nuclear program.

As Mr. Obama indicated, resolving the Futenma issue won't be easy, although both leaders' expressed determination to lessen the burden on Okinawa is welcome. Japan and the United States are to decide on the specific location of the Futenma replacement facility, its configuration and the construction method by the end of August. Okinawan people's opposition to the Henoko plan is so strong that both governments must realize that without getting the people on their side, the Futenma relocation will not be achieved.

Mr. Kan must persevere in reaching the Okinawan side. To push the relocation plan without doing so could lead to an uncontrollable situation. Some Japanese question the roles of U.S. Marines stationed in Okinawa in the security situation surrounding Japan. Tokyo and Washington have the task of convincingly explaining American military roles to people. More importantly, neither should rule out the possibility of rethinking the May 28 accord.

G20首脳会議後に会談した菅首相とオバマ大統領は、日米同盟がアジア太平洋の平和と繁栄の礎との認識で一致した。前政権下、普天間問題で日米関係がきくしゃくして以来の会合だった。首相は大統領に対し、普天間のヘリポート機能を宜野湾から辺野古に移すという5月の日米合意の履行に真剣に取り組むと述べ、両首脳は沖縄県の負担軽減に努めることで合意した。

両政府は代替施設の場所、配置と工法を8月末までに決定する予定だ。沖縄県民は辺野古案に強く反対しており、地元を説得できなければ移転は実現しないことを両政府は認識すべきだ。日本周辺の安全における在沖米海兵隊の役割に疑問をもつ日本人に対し、納得のいく説明するのは日米政府の任務だ。さらに重要なのは、5月の合意を見直す可能性を残しておくことだ。